Stuck With Me
by PurpleKorea134
Summary: As Draco tries to flee from a battle with the Dark Lord in Malfoy Manor, he finds himself hiding in the dungeons with Luna Lovegood. As an escape, he uses the apparating spell, but accidentally takes Luna with him, and to her own home! He is stuck there with her until someone comes and gets him, and he can't leave because it may mean the end of both of them.
1. Chapter 1

Hello, everyone! Here's another Draco/Luna fanfiction. I had a lot of fun writing it, and I hope you have fun reading it! =)

(Sorry, this chapter is a bit short... it's more of a prologue to the story)

**Chapter 1**

_Setting: Malfoy Manor, before the Battle of Hogwarts, winter, 1998_

Draco sat in his usual armchair in his spacious, yet gloomy living room in Malfoy Manor. He had been staring at the dark, empty fireplace, brows furrowed, and hands clutching the arms of the chair for about an hour.

He knew why the Dark Lord chose him—his father's mistake. Draco had to pay for it by being commanded to murder an innocent man. He also need to prove himself as a competent member of the Malfoy family.

Draco turned his head slightly at the noise of voices coming from the entryway. Curious, he stood up and walked over and noticed his aunt Bellatrix, the werewolf Death Eater Fenrir Greyback, and two other Death Eaters. Greyback carried a girl with long blonde hair tied together with a piece of fabric. His lips pressed together when he noticed that the girl was his classmate Luna Lovegood, a friend of Harry Potter's.

_Why Luna Lovegood?_ Draco momentarily thought as he pushed his brows together, thinking what they could want with that loony girl, but dismissed as he went back to sit in his chair. He learned to just let the other Death Eaters be as they went about their business. In his house. The thought made his blood boil.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_Setting: Malfoy Manor, before the Battle of Hogwarts, spring, 1999._

Draco came back to Malfoy Manor for spring break. It had been months since his last visit. He didn't just want to go home, but he wanted to get away from Hogwarts as soon as possible. He had been banned anyway because word got out that he helped in the killing of Dumbledore.

Draco sighed as he sat on his bed in his spacious room in the farthest corner of the manor. He favored this corner of the manor because it was away from the Death Eaters who were rampaging about in the living room and kitchen on the other side of the manor. He liked to stay out of all that commotion.

Sunlight poured through the large windows of his room, casting a golden glow on the large Isfahan rug covering the floor near his bed. He stared at the floor before rolling his white dress shirt sleeve up to reveal the dreaded Dark Mark tattoo on his right arm. He clenched his fist together, until his knuckles turned white, and gritted his teeth. This horrible thing will be on him for life, branding him as a follower of evil. A monster. A person more hated than he already was.

It started moving.

"No…" Draco muttered with a tight jaw as he clenched his fists tighter. "No…"

He had no choice. He pulled out his wand and touched the tattoo with the tip. Disobeying an order from the Dark Lord meant one of the three unforgivable curses. He has seen them done in person before. And recently. He pulled down his sleeve, buttoned the wrist buttons, and pulled on his black suit jacket. Exiting his room, and closing the curtains with his wand, he walked down a hallway, some stairs, two more hallways, and another large flight of stone stairs until he entered his massive living room. He noticed that all the furniture was pushed off to the side, and the curtains were closed. The only source of light was a few torches lit on the walls. Draco frowned. His living room resembled the Slytherin dungeons at Hogwarts.

Draco looked around the room and realized that the Dark Lord was nowhere to be seen. Why was he even called?

"Draco," his father Lucious said, arm extended to him, and standing next to Nerissa, Draco's mother, "come."

He walked over to his father, and when he stood next to him and his black robes, several streams of black smoke filled the room, and when it dissipated, there stood the rest of the Death Eaters, grinning evilly. Draco held his breath as the Death Eaters stood in a circle in the middle of the gloomy room. Draco stood in the circle and stared at a green billow of smoke that appeared in the middle. What appeared was the lizard-like Dark Lord himself.

"My friends," he said in his cool, slithering voice, chilling Draco's blood, "welcome. We have a small matter to take care of today. Where is our special guest?" He looked around the circle, and shouted moderately, "Wormtail!"

A few Death Eaters moved out of the way as the stout man Peter Petigrew dragged a wailing young woman who had frazzled brown hair falling over her head. Peter dropped her in front of the robed Dark Lord, her face hidden due to all her hair falling over her face as she held her head down to the stone floor. She looked up at the Dark Lord, and some of her hair fell away, and Draco could see her full face from where he stood. His stomach turned and he felt sick when he realized that this young woman was his classmate in Slytherin House, Helena Bartley, a fifth year. The Dark Lord knelt down to her level.

"Now, Miss Bartley, do you know why you're here?"

She remained silent as she hugged her torso, and she shook.

"Your father caused us quite a bit of grief yesterday," the Dark Lord said. "Killing one of our Death Eaters."

That startled Draco. Someone killing one of the Death Eaters? He looked around and found that indeed, one was missing. He just didn't know who. He looked back at Helena, who held her head down again.

"Shall we teach your father a lesson?" he asked, his voice slithering out, and his face getting into hers. He stood up and pointed his wand at her.

Helena huffed through her nose and stood to her feet and pointed her own wand to the Dark Lord. She screamed a spell that sent a wave of red at the Dark Lord, but he deflected it. What happened next was a muddle to Draco, due to the sudden green, white, blue, and red lights flashing from wands, Death Eaters screaming and howling spells and curses, and people flying across the floor. Someone flew out one of the windows, sending glass shards in every direction.

Draco plastered himself against the side stone of the fire place, hyperventilating in shock and fear. He had to get out of there. He ran out of the room, down the main hallway, through a door, and down a couple flights of stairs until he reached a dark stone hallway lit by torches. He hyperventilated as he found himself staring at another wooden door, his heart pounding out of control.

Shouts were heard upstairs, and his breath hitched. Desperate, he flung the heavy wooden door open and shut it behind him. He leaned against it, heaving in and out and running a hand through his hair. His heart continued to pound furiously.

"Draco Malfoy?"

He jumped and his eyes dilated as he stared down the stairs he was at the top of. He saw a faint figure in the darkness. Alarmed, he pulled his wand out at the small form, thinking it to be a ghost.

"Who's there?" he croaked, "Who are you?"

"Luna Lovegood," said the airy voice.

Draco lowered his wand and felt a sigh of relief sink into his stomach. Luna Lovegood. He had forgotten that she was taken.

Draco stared down the stairs and saw that Luna had stepped up a few steps. His nose twitched when some light from a small barred window her her face. Her blonde hair was tied back and disheveled, and her clothes were a ragged, dirty mess. And she smelled musty.

"Here!" Draco heard from the other side of the door, realizing it as Greyback's animal voice. He sucked in a tight breath.

"You look very scared," Luna commented.

"Shut it!" Draco hissed as Greyback growled, "I smell him!"

Draco ran down the stairs, passed Luna, and looked around at the dark, dirt-floored room around him, desperately trying to find a place to hide.

"Are you trying to hide from the other Death Eaters?" Luna asked in her light voice as she stood at the foot of the stairs. "Maybe you should cast an invisibility charm."

"I said shut it!" he ordered, and hid behind the staircase.

He heard the dungeon door open. His heart nearly stopped. Not really thinking, he grabbed onto something and apparated out of the dungeon and landed on hard, grassy ground, face down in it. He immediately sat up, spitting out the vile stuff, and noticed that his hand had a hold of something covered in dirty red fabric. His eyes traveled up the thing and found that it was Luna Lovegood's arm. He let it go like it was a diseased animal, but Luna didn't seem to notice. She was looking up at something and smiling. Draco followed her gaze and found a tall, stone shack-looking structure, but looked as if it was torn through by some strong force, leaving it in shambles.

"What…?" he let out in bewilderment, then noticed all the debris everywhere around the yard.

"My house," Luna said, and stood up.

Draco shot up and stared at her, almost disgusted. "Your house?"

"Yes," she said, and a cool wind blew. "It was destroyed by Death Eaters after I was captured, and my father was sent to Azkaban."

_ She says that so lightly_, he thought. _No wonder she's considered 'Loony' Lovegood_.

Draco ran a hand through his white-blonde hair and turned around. He was taken aback at the endless sea of yellow grass, a few trees dotting the distance, along with a small forest off to the southwest. How in the blazes did he apparate _here_? He looked at the disheveled girl walking around the yard. Oh. Luna was obviously thinking of this place. After being cooped up in the dungeons for a few months, of course she would want to go to her home. Honestly, Draco didn't know where he wanted to go when he apparated—he just wanted to bet the bloody heck out of there—so the spell used Luna's thoughts to find a place.

Luna continued walking among the myriad of debris in the yard. She stopped at a torn bush near the steps leading up to the wood and stone shambles. She picked up a little white and orange round thing and brought it up to her nose. Maybe a plum? Draco expected her to eat it, but she just set it down lightly on a piece of wood like it was made of glass.

"Of all the people…" he muttered. "A wooden block would've been better."

He slumped down in the grass, criss-crossed, and looked off into the distance at the on-going fields. His heart began to pound at the thought of the Death Eaters, or even the Dark Lord himself, coming to snatch him away and punish him for escaping.

Any moment now…


	3. Chapter 3

_Draco and Luna have never really spoken in any of the Harry Potter books/movies, so I had to guess as to what their first actual conversation would be like. Enjoy! =)_

**Chapter 3**

An hour later, and nothing.

Draco sat, trying not to think about anything, but his mind could not help but revert back to the battle that took place in his living room. Helena surely was dead. Pointing her wand and casting a spell at the Dark Lord definitely had its consequences. And Draco himself probably wouldn't have lasted that long either if he hadn't escaped. Amid all of that chaos, someone could've accidentally hit him with a spell that would have mortally wounded him... or killed him.

Draco jumped when he heard a loud _bang_ from behind him. He looked back and found that Luna was carrying a slab of wood the size of her own body, and placing it in a pile along with other massive slabs of wood, and right next to a pile of rocks about the size of quaffle balls. Doesn't she have her wand? She could just levitate them all.

He turned back, attempting to ignore the Ravenclaw girl, but another bang sounded, and his blood curdled with annoyance. He stood up and stood among the debris. He pointed his wand to the shambles.

"Erecto!" he shouted, and Luna stood back and watched in wonderment as the wooden boards and stones flew up, and the house put itself back together, creating many bangs, booms, whips, clanks and thumps. The house stood erect, and two stories tall, in under a minute.

Draco put his wand away, and heard Luna take a breath.

"Thank you, Draco Malfoy. It looks more beautiful than before. You know, people always say that it looked ugly, but I thought it was lovely. With homes, it all depends on the person who lives there. A man could live in a rusty shack and still think it's the most beautiful home in the world."

His nose twitched. She was spouting nonsense. He walked away as she asked, "Do you want to come inside and have a bite to eat?"

"No," was his reply and walked off and away from the dirt-covered and smelly girl.

Draco sat in the grass for some time and stared at the horizon, sitting with his knees up and his arms resting on them. The sun was just beginning to set, casting yellows, oranges and pinks across the sky. Draco was almost hypnotized by it—it looked like the painting he had in his room back at the manor, one that he stared at for good amounts of time to calm himself down if he was ever in a foul mood.

Speaking of the manor…

How come no one has come to fetch him? Were they even worried about him, or concerned that he was gone? And concerned about Luna, a prisoner who escaped? A frustrated sigh escaped him. They probably thought it good punishment to leave him alone with the strangest, looniest girl at Hogwarts, and the daughter of the man who is hated by his father, and whose political views polluted The Ministry and angered his father like no other person had.

He could just apparate somewhere else, and away from this god-forsaken place in the middle of nowhere, and away from that loony-girl. But that may create more trouble. Leaving her alone is just asking for the Death Eaters or the Dark Lord to kill her off as another punishment to her father. Or… a punishment for leaving the Dark Lord's presence, as well as failing in his first task as a Death Eater, could be Draco himself performing the death curse on Luna, and then someone performing the death curse on him.

His stomach twisted.

No. He would stay and deal with her, keeping both of them from getting killed. Because what has she done, anyway? Nothing. She seems harmless. He's been pestered by many people, like Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger… and Harry Potter. Thank God it wasn't one of those three he was stuck with. He'll just deal with Luna. She _is_ a pureblood, anyway. And not a Gryffindor.

Draco noticed someone sitting next to him. He jumped when he saw Luna sitting there with a plate of food in her hand, her person still dirty.

She held the plate of two slices of buttered brown bread, a bunch of green grapes, and a few slices of white cheese out. "Would you like some?"

"No."

She brought back the plate in front of her and ate a grape. He eyed the plate, feeling his stomach pinch his gut in hunger. He looked back to the front of him, but saw a second later the plate in front of his eyes.

"Here," she said. "Have some. You're hungry, but you're too proud to say anything."

He shot her a glare. "What?"

She had a calm smile on her face. He huffed through his nose and took a piece of bread and finished it in two bites. She set the plate down in between them.

"You can have the rest," she said, and she stared off at the sunset, a dreamy look on her face. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

He didn't say anything.

"My father and I had this nightly ritual during the summers of sitting on the stairs and watching the sun set." She looked at him. "It seems that you do, as well."

"I don't," he said haltingly.

"I wouldn't blame you if you did. The large windows on your lovely home are covered with curtains, so I would think that you would enjoy a beautiful sunset."

He turned his head to her, his brows pushed together. "Lovely?"

"Yes. Your home is quite lovely. Melancholy, but lovely."

Doesn't she have any idea what goes on at the manor? "How would you know?"

"Because I saw it."

He stared at her, and memory of when Greyback carried her in. "You were awake when they brought you in?" He totally thought she was out cold.

"Oh. Yes, I was. I may have seemed asleep because I was taking in the beauty of the house."

He looked back to the sunset. "Beauty," he spat. "Right."

"Yes. Your home is beautiful."

He said nothing to that. People have been tortured and killed in his home. Luna herself was a prisoner in it. Was she so naïve as to not know this?

Of course she was.

Draco noticed Luna stand up. "I will leave you alone," she said in her light voice. "I can tell that you want to be by yourself."

She left through the grass back to the house. He looked back at her and saw that she was dancing in circles as she walked, waving her arms like a bird, and humming something.

"Strange girl," he muttered and looked back at the sunset, and the golden sun disappeared below the horizon.


	4. Chapter 4

_This chapter switches to Luna's point of view. I'll admit that it was a little difficult to get inside her head, but I did my best. Enjoy!_

**Chapter 4**

_Day 2_

Warmth seared his eyelids as he lay in the grass the next morning. His eyes fluttered open, but he immediately had to cover them because they were looking directly at the sun. He turned his head and saw dry grass and an empty plate. He bolted up to a sitting position and stared at the fields around him, slightly confused for a moment.

"Oh… right," he breathed as he ran a hand down his face, trying to wake up. He had conjured himself a cot to sleep on, since he _did not _want to sleep in the same house as Luna Lovegood, and he hoped that someone would come to retrieve him during the night. He needed to be present so he could leave without Luna knowing.

He pulled out his wand, pointed it to his chest and muttered, "Scourgify." A cool blast of freshness ran through him. He ran a hand through his feathery blonde hair. It felt as if he had just taken a shower. That would rid him of any grime or somesuch that came in contact with him during the night.

He stared around a bit and noticed that the sun was just a bit over the horizon. It must be around seven o-clock. He looked back at the wood-and-stone shack. He noticed Luna looking through a window at him, but she didn't budge when he saw her, like most people would. She just smiled. He turned away and huffed through his nose. He might as well go inside and out of the grass and dirt.

As he walked up the path to the house, his mind flashed to the dream he had during the night. Screams and flashes of light… Helena and Luna side-by-side fighting Draco, pointing their wands at him. Green light spewed from his wand and hit Helena in the chest, sending her lifeless body back onto the stone floor. He looked down at his green hand and long nails, gripping his wand, and pointing it at Luna.

"Please!" she screamed. "Spare me!"

He hissed a laugh and shouted the killing curse, hitting her in the head. He cackled and looked over into the mirror on the wall. Bald, green head, bright red eyes, and slit nose.

He was the Dark Lord. Evil. Merciless. A monster.

Draco shook his head as he felt vile rise in his throat. He shook those dark thoughts away as he took the few steps up to the house, his shiny black shoes clicking the stone as he went. He got to the wooden door and rose a fist to knock. He wouldn't just barge in—he knew that much of manners. His eyes darted to the bush right next to the door, one with levitating plums attached by vine to it. There was a sign that read "Keep off the dirigible plums." Draco's nose twitched.

The door suddenly opened, and Draco jumped at the surprise. He put his hand down and stood in a dignified manner.

"I saw you walk up," Luna said, her whole person dirt-free, and her long, kinky blonde hair traveling down passed her waist. "I saved you the trouble of knocking." She looked over to the plums. "You may have one if you like. I saw you looking at them. They are quite delicious."

He huffed through his nose. "No, thank you."

Luna moved aside and indicated with her arm that he could come in. He walked into a circular room that had a small spiral staircase going up to the next floor, right in the center of the room. One half of the circle, most likely the living room, had a leather chair, sofa, and desk and small side tables, all of which were covered with several papers and books. There was a small stone fireplace in between the sofa and leather chair, and a window above the sofa, letting morning sunlight in. The other half of the circular had multi-colored pink, blue, yellow and green counters and cupboards, and a window above the sink. That was probably the kitchen area. The walls in that half seemed painted in a mural of yellow and blue.

Draco's nose twitched at the circle-room. This is the Lovegood home, a place he never even dreamed of walking into, and it was about as big as a broom cupboard in the manor.

"Make yourself comfortable," he heard Luna say. "The house looks a bit different than before—the living room was upstairs and the kitchen was on this floor. It seems that your spell to erect the house again changed it. But I don't mind."

Draco ignored that as his eyes darted around the living room half and thought it better to just stand, rather than sit in the ratty brown leather sofa or chair. His eyes stopped on a moving picture on the mantle above the fireplace. He found himself stepping closer to the picture, which was in a wooden frame that had pink and purple flowers etched into it. The sun hit the picture causing the person in it to illuminate. She had long, wavy blond hair going past her waist, she was slim and curvy, and had a broad smile on her triangular face. Her eyes were a deep blue, and seemed to shine from the sunlight hitting the picture. Draco had to hold his breath for a moment. He's seen handsome women before, but this woman was _beautiful_.

"My mother," Luna said next to him as she suddenly stood next to him. "Beautiful, isn't she?"

Draco looked away from the picture at that question, but glanced back at it again. He couldn't help it.

"When we have guests over, they always stop to look at her," Luna explained. "Especially the men."

Draco felt his cheeks heat up, embarrassed that Luna Lovegood noticed him ogle over a picture. Of her _mother _no less. Yet he still couldn't tare his gaze off it. He has heard his father talk of the Lovegoods before, but he has never mentioned a mother, just a father and daughter living alone.

"You're wondering what happened to her," Luna surpised, practically reading his thoughts. "Well, she was a witch who loved to experiment with new spells. Unfortunately, one of her spells went dreadfully wrong. I was only nine, and was there in the room when it happened."

For some reason, Draco felt his heart lurch. This beautiful woman... is dead? And Luna witnessed the death? He glanced at her gazing at her mother's picture, not a hint of sadness on her face. How does she keep all the emotion in? If she does at all… Merlin, he couldn't imagine losing his mother, the only person who really cares about him…

"I have seen your mother before," he heard Luna say, and he darted his eyes to her. "In Diagon Alley."

"When?" he asked, truly curious.

"A few years ago. I remember she was with you, probably helping you get school supplies. I remember stopping and gazing at her. She was tall and very beautiful, and walked with such grace and confidence, like she could take on anything. I remember wanting to be like her when I grew up." She smiled. "I guess she became a kind of role model for me."

Draco stared at her in disbelief. His mother? A role model? And for _her_?

"I suspect you are hungry," Luna said, but Draco had already left the room and walked down the pathway away from the house. He stopped a distance away and slammed his hands into his pockets, trying to suppress his pounding heart.

Luna was making all that up. No one thought about his mother in such ways. Even _he_ didn't have such opinions of his mother, even though he's been around her his whole life. What she saw was only on the outside, not the inside. Sure the woman cared for him, but she was also a follower of the Dark Lord. Like his father. And him. Who would want their role model to be such a person?

He heard a door creak open in the distance. He looked back and found Luna walking down the steps, and then down the path to him. He noticed the red overalls that she was wearing, which hugged her torso and nipped in all the right places.

Luna Lovegood has curves? Well, why wouldn't she? She's a girl, after all. He huffed through his nose as he turned to the horizon and heard her approach in the dry grass.

"Would you like some breakfast?" she asked as he saw a plate of eggs, brown toast, and sausage. He saw nothing wrong with it. In fact, it looked delicious. But he turned his pointed nose away.

"No."

Luna turned away, humming the same tune from the day before. His stomach ate at him as the scent of that breakfast wafted away. He turned and saw Luna twirling around, both arms out, and, like a wispy dance move, placed the plate on a stone near the path, and danced up the steps, still humming. He eyed the plate. As soon as Luna was inside the house, he walked over and grabbed it, and finished it in minutes.

* * *

Luna sat in the leather sofa in her living room, only she sat backwards as she looked out the window at Draco Malfoy walking up to the plate she left on the rock, taking it, and eating the contents on it as he went and sat down, knees up, in the grass.

She smiled. She knew he was hungry. Those blue eyes of his wouldn't be darting to and from the plate if he wasn't so. She figured it was his proud personality that made him turn away from food, either that or he was repulsed by her. She wouldn't be surprised if he was. Most people were.

She sat back in the sofa and pulled a magazine off one of the small tables next to her. She opened _The Quibbler_ and flipped through the articles. She was looking at the magazine upside-down, since she found it easier to read that way. She came across an article that her father wrote, titled "Malfoy Manor, Home of Darkness." Pictured there was the manor itself, tall and castle-like, large windows lining the whole front of the four-story mansion.

She remembered the day her father came home from gathering information on this story—he was covered in cuts and bruises. He told her that he was tortured into vowing not to publish the article, as the manor was a private home.

Luna read the article—

_Malfoy Manor is the home of the wealthy pure-blood Malfoy family, located in Wiltshire, England. It is mainly used as the base of operations of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and Death Eaters, much to the immense discomfort of Lucius, Nerissa, and Draco Malfoy. I personally saw the horrid looks on all three of their faces after asking the question of how they liked their home being inhabited by the dark wizard._

_After a tour by a small house elf, I found that the manor is large, with windows lining the walls of the building, but curtains covering every one from the inside. Elaborate gardens surround the structure, along with a fountain, but I only saw them as I looked back behind a thick black curtain. The interior of the manor is dark, dismal, and creates negative feelings to all who enter it._

Luna paused for a moment. She had to disagree with her father right there, even if it was from his own personal experience. She remembered back to when she was brought into the manor. She didn't feel any sort of negative feeling when she entered, even though she knew she was going to be a prisoner in it for a time. Just as she had told Draco yesterday, she thought the house was lovely, even though the walls were dark, and the windows covered. She couldn't take her eyes off of the sumptuous decorations of paintings, suits of armor, fancy, deep red foreign rugs, nor the elegant crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceilings. The place was a wonderment and a beauty in her eyes.

She read on—

_The cellar of the manor, or the dungeons, are directly below the drawing room, allowing those in the manor to easily retrieve prisoners for punishing. The house elf that directed me took me down into the cellar, and a cold chill entered my bones. The room is completely dark and escape-proof. Only house elves can bypass the room's securities._

Again, Luna had to disagree with what he he. She escaped the room. With Draco. Of course, he may have not even noticed that he grabbed onto her arm before they apparated out. Maybe the family has the power to escape the place as well.

And she wasn't punished or taken out and tortured. She sat there on the hard floor for three whole months, humming sad tunes to herself, thinking of what was going on in the world as she was there, and what was has become of her father. She had to block those thoughts whenever they came and just decided to imagine what it would be like to literally sit on a cloud. It comforted her. When she heard someone open the door and slam it shut, she bolted up and walked to the stairs and saw a tall, lean figure at the top. Someone she recognized. She momentarily thought it curious that Draco Malfoy would enter the dungeon. He looked so scared—terrified, even. But she was inextricably happy to see him at the top of the stairs, as frightened as he was. Her heart soared at seeing a familiar face. Her heart was bursting so much with happiness at that time, the emotion caused his name to escape her lips.

But what had happened up above that caused him to look so scared? She did hear screams and banging. Maybe a battle with the Lord Voldemort? She couldn't be sure. But she was sure that she was happy to see Draco, even though he's the school bully and has called her names. Seeing anyone from school would have made her happy.

Luna leaned back in the sofa, staring up at the light blue ceiling.

"Draco Malfoy," she said, and her heart soared again, like in the dungeon. Curious.

Luna turned again and looked behind her and out the window again and saw Draco sitting in the grass, staring off into the sea of fields. She noticed how much he did this since they arrived at her home. She wondered what he thought about. What he ran from. Or he could just be admiring the scene in front of him.

She noticed him take his suit jacket off and then roll up his left sleeve. She squinted to try and see what he was looking at on his left arm, but she couldn't make it out. Was it his Dark Mark? She knew that he had become a Death Eater, on account of what she heard Harry, Ron, and Hermione talk about one day at lunch as she sat at the Ravenclaw table right next to them. She was shocked at their accusations, and couldn't believe it because he seemed far too young, and too innocent.

She turned back around and looked at the magazine again. She watched the moving picture of the Malfoy family, standing prim and proper. She eyed Draco. She thought him a good person on the inside, only that goodness was tainted with the evil that he was forced to live around all his life. But she didn't know him well enough to judge on that.

She put the magazine aside after a good three hours of reading various articles, and danced to the kitchen and started putting some food on a plate—the same grapes, cheese, and brown bread. Simple, yes, but it was all her and her father lived on since they were poor. She left out the door after she finished and stepped down the stairs to the path and glided to where Draco was, only he wasn't there.

"Oh," she said, and looked around.

She walked around the house with the plate in her hand, not able to spot him. Did he leave? She wouldn't blame him if he did. Her home is a place most people are uncomfortable coming to, no matter who they are. Plus, whatever happened at his home has most likely died down, so he decided to go back.

Luna set the plate down on a rock and started twirling about in the grass, her bare feet crunching the short yellow stalks. Her face to the sky, she inhaled the fresh breeze, and imagined herself dancing on a cloud. She danced around the yard, then around the house, letting the noon sun warm her cheeks.

How wonderful this was, to dance in the breeze, feeling like a breath of air dancing with the wind.

Luna had her eyes closed as she danced, her arms waving in every direction as she hummed a light tune, and her hair flying with her. Her eyes opened when she heard a light grunt near her. She stopped and saw Draco. He stood there, arms folded, and looking at her, shaking his head from side to side.

Her spirits elevated. He didn't leave! Luna wasn't sure why she felt so happy at seeing him standing there with a somewhat disgusted look on his face. She smiled.

"Draco," she said, and went over to the plate on the rock, "would you like some lunch?"

He stared at the plate, then back at her. "No."

He walked off and around the house, and she wasn't really sure where he went after that. She left the plate on the rock, knowing that he would come back and get it later. She went on to dance in the grass.


	5. Chapter 5

_This is a shorter chapter, where Luna ventures off into the forest for a hunting trip. Yeah, I know—Luna and hunting… LOL_

**Chapter 5**

She had so much time on her hands. More so than when she was home on holiday. She sat on her bed on the second floor and gazed out the window as the sun set. She spotted Draco in his usual spot, staring at the horizon.

"He loves the sky," she muttered, only guessing since she never really asked him. This _could_ be something they have in common.

She sighed as she lay her head over her folded arms on the windowsill. She gazed out at the far distance at the forest about a kilometer away. She smiled as an idea lighted her mind, and she hopped to her feet. Why hasn't she thought about doing this when she first arrived home?

Because she always did it with her father. Who is now in Azkaban.

She took a deep breath as she tried to dismiss her sinking heart. She wanted to make her father proud. She would go out and find those crumple-horned snorkacks and surprise him when he came back. She knew they were out there somewhere.

After changing into her outerwear and grabbing a rather large net on a pole, she went out barefoot into the grass. Draco was gone. She was going to tell him that she would be leaving, and would ask him if would like to come along. She looked around her several times over. He was nowhere to be seen.

Maybe he went back home? She nodded. That's most likely what happened.

She moved on and danced her way through the grass, and about half-way to the forest, it got as tall as her waist. She noticed a ladybug land on her hand as she had her arms out. She let it sit there and enjoy the ride.

She came upon the edge of the forest, the sky now darkening. She entered the forest as an orchestra of nature sounds delighted her ears. Smiling, she walked over the leaves, twigs, and rocks. The soles of her feet were so thick, she barely felt anything as she stepped on them.

A loud shrill shriek encumbered the forest.

"A snorkack!" she said, and beamed. She started running in the direction of the sound, running through thickets of branches and bushes, the leaves of which were getting caught in her hair.

The loud shriek sounded again.

Luna's heart pounded with excitement at finally being able to capture a snorkack and keep it as a pet.

As she ran, huffing, her father's words entering her mind, along with a memory of the both of them sitting on the steps to their house when she was ten years old…

"_The crumple-horned snorkack is the rarest of magical creatures, and can only be found in that forest over there. Their call is a loud shriek, but when you hear it, don't be frightened because that is their happy call, a call they make when they know a friend is nearby. Someday we will catch one together and keep it as a pet, and name it Pandora after your mum. The creature's cat-like, so they won't be much trouble to keep around."_

The sound was again heard, but louder. The wood was almost pitch dark now, and Luna had to pull on special magical glasses in order so see in the dark. When she put them on, she saw the forest as if it were noon-day. She ran more towards the noise until she entered a calm clearing of feathery green grass swaying in the wind. She sat crisscrossed, waiting for the snorkack to arrive.

As she sat and waited, the dark sky above her twinkled stars at her. She jumped to her feet when she heard a low rumble of an animal.

"There it is," she said and crouched behind a tall tuft of grass. The large, furry, four-legged creature with tall ears like horns walked out into the clearing.

"Alright, here we go..." Luna muttered, and was about to jump out with her magical net whose net expanded to the size of whatever she was capturing, but something startled the cat-beast, and it ran off back into the forest. Luna slumped back down in the grass in disappointment.

"I suppose I will have to try again later."

The sound of something slithering in the grass encumbered the still silence of the forest clearing. Luna stood up and saw a rather massive snake slithering in her direction. It's eyes glowed yellow, even through Luna's magical glasses.

"Oh, hello," she said to the massive snake as it stared at her. She looked along its body and couldn't see his or her tail. "My, you are very long, aren't you?"

This snake wasn't a magical creature, just a snake slithering through the clearing. She would know, after reading book after book on magical creatures, and visiting them at Hogwarts whenever she had some spare time.

The snake opened its mouth, showing long fangs. She didn't know much about non-magical creatures, but she knew creatures themselves, and that snake looked hungry. She stood and looked around and heard something scampering in the brush. She caught the rodent with her net, and came back and placed it in front of the snake. it started to swallow the rodent whole.

"There, now you are satisfied," she said. "You can wait with me for the crumple-horned snorkack, but make sure you do not startle it. They are not fond of snakes."

She knew the snake couldn't understand her, but talking to it helped her relax. She would be waiting all night for that snorkack to come back.


	6. Chapter 6

_Hope you're liking the story! Here, we see a side of Draco that no one has seen. Luna also finds out a huge secret..._

**Chapter 6**

_Day 3_

Draco made his way down the stairs and to the path outside the house. He gazed around as the early morning sun shone over the vast horizon. He surprisingly had a good night's sleep, since he conjured a rather comfortable bed, not a cot, in the living room half of the circular room inside. He decided to be out of the elements this time.

Going to his spot in the grass, he realized that he hasn't seen Luna since yesterday after he saw her dancing around her house. She seemed drunk on something. Or she was just herself.

Where was that blasted girl?

No matter. Why should he care about where she was or what she was up to? She literally danced to her own beat, and didn't have the slightest care about what other people think. She was a free spirit.

Draco felt a tinge of jealously grip his heart. He wished that he could be that free, and not confined in his depressed life.

He thought back to when he came around the house and saw her dancing around her yard, flailing around like some crazy twirling bird or fairy, humming a different tune than what he heard before. He stared at her, noticing how carefree she was. Doesn't she have a clue that she was in the presence of a Death Eater, and that her father was in the worst possible prison on earth, most likely awaiting death? It made him grit his teeth.

Were the Death Eaters, the Dark Lord, or even his parents, worrying about where he was, now that he has been gone for over two days? He looked around the yellow plains again. He surpassed trying to figure out where in the blazes this was because it would result in innocent people getting hurt. He didn't want that, especially if it was his doing.

He plopped down on the ground. He had to fend for himself yesterday, and just this morning, not bothering to touch the food in the house, but conjuring up his favorite dishes, just to put himself into a somewhat better mood. He looked forward to when he would be able to fend for himself when he moved out of the manor, after he graduates from Hogwarts. But he wouldn't be completely free. The Dark Mark ruined that for him.

He sighed in irritation and raked a hand through his hair. He thought back again to Luna dancing around her yard, and remembered the picture of her mother, which he had looked at last night and this morning for some time. The two females definitely resembled each other. Luna's long blond hair and triangular face, and her form, were similar to her mother's. And he even noticed the feminine curves that her mother had in the picture.

Draco felt heat creep up his neck. He shook his head, displacing the blonde hair over his brow. He is _not_ going to allow himself to think that Luna Lovegood is actually pretty. No way.

Suddenly, he saw movement near the forest in the distance. Quickly leaping to his feet, he pulled out his wand toward the form, thinking it an animal of some sort. It was too far away for him to take any action, so he waited until it was to the small tree half-way between the house and the forest. Then he saw long blond hair. He relaxed. It was only Luna.

She was skipping, making her hair bounce behind her. He put his wand away as she came closer. He stared at her in slight disgust at her appearance. She stood in front of him, a smile on her dirt-stained face, and her hair was full of twigs, leaves, and dirt. She also smelled of… toad slime. He felt his breakfast come up a bit. How on earth did he think _this_ girl as pretty?

"Hello, Draco," she said in her light, airy voice.

"Where've you been?" he demanded, holding the side of his hand to his nose.

"Looking for crumple-horned snorkacks."

His brows furrowed. "For what?"

She walked passed him, and he had to step away from the putrid fume that she radiated. "Crumple-horned snorkacks," she said matter-of-factually. "They are cat-like creatures who make a loud shriek when they know a friend is nearby. My father and I would go out and look for them. Sometimes we would be gone weeks on end."

He stared at her. Weeks on end? She was a loony girl, for sure. He knew magical creatures—he read book after book of them during the summers when he was a lad, sitting in the manor's massive library, looking at the pictures of every creature he could find—there was no such thing as a _crumple-horned snorkack_.

"There's no such thing," he said, hand still to his nose.

She pulled a twig out of her hair and found a small black spider on it, which made Draco jump a little. "Oh, there is. I heard one last night. But unfortunately, I couldn't catch it since it was scared off by a snake." She looked up at him since he was a goo head taller than her. "And how are you doing, Draco?"

His brows furrowed, and said sarcastically, "Dandy."

He walked on, passed Luna, back to her house. He looked back and noticed that she started twirling again. He grunted. There she goes again. He was to the front door when he heard a loud "_Ow!_" He turned and found Luna on the ground, and clutching her foot in her hands. Nasty… she went out with no shoes!

Turning the door handle, he heard her squeal in pain again. He huffed. He looked back and saw that her foot was noticeably black and blue.

He's not nice to a lot of people. People aren't nice to him, so why bother? But Luna was nice to him. Mainly because she was terribly naïve, but still…

He turned and stalked down the steps and down the path until he was next to Luna. He grimaced. Her foot was worse than what he saw from the door. Her pale, dirty skin on her foot was splotched with black, blue, red, purple, and some was even yellow. He's never seen such a colorful foot. He saw her gazing at it with a dreamy expression.

"Beautiful colors, aren't they?" she asked.

"What'd you do?"

"I tripped over that rock." She pointed to a rock near to her right, next to the path. She moved her foot, and another "Ow!" escaped her lips.

"Don't move it, you numbskull," he said and knelt down on one knee, his wand now out. He pointed it to her foot. "Episky!"

Cracks sounded, and Luna gasped at the pain, and the color drained from her foot, leaving her pale, dirty skin in its wake. She stared at it in awe as he put away his wand and stood up.

"Thank you, Draco Malfoy," she said, moving her healed foot around.

"Just Draco," he said, and began to walk back to the house.

"You know," she said, pulling her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them, "you're a pretty nice person for being a Death Eater."

He stopped mid-step, his heart leaping to his throat. He glared back at her. "What did you say?"

"I said, 'You know, you're a pretty nice person for being a Death Eater.'"

He walked back to her and stared down at her, a deep crease in his forehead. His heart started to race. Someone knew he was a Death Eater?!

"What makes you think I'm a Death Eater?" he asked.

She nodded nonchalantly. "I heard Harry, Ron, and Hermione talking about it one day at lunch about a month ago."

"Of course Potter would suspect it…" he growled, painfully remembering the clock tower and Dumbledore's murder. He met her blue-gray eyes. "And you're not afraid of me?"

She shook her head. "Why would I be? You're just one of my fellow classmates. There's no reason to have ill feelings towards you."

He couldn't believe this. Fury suddenly surged inside of him, causing his fists to clench, and a vain to pop out at his temple. "But I bullied your friends! I bullied everyone! I was commanded to torture people!" He snarled at her, "I was chosen to be a Death Eater because of what my father did to _all of you_ and what you and your _friends_ did in the Ministry! I was commanded to kill Dumbledore!" he shouted, not sure why he revealed that to her.

Luna stayed perfectly calm as Draco yelled at her. "But you didn't kill him."

"How do you bloomin' know?" he spat. "He's dead, isn't he?"

"Harry told me the whole story… the tower… Professor Snape… and I even witnessed Serious Black being killed." She paused a moment as he had his back turned to her, hot tears searing his eyes. "It's not your fault."

Draco stayed silent as he glared at the ground in front of him. He took deep breaths, attempting to calm himself. "I didn't kill him… I'm a coward."

"No, it just means you're good."

He let out a sad, strained chuckle. "Good… bad… who knows what I am anymore?"

He heard Luna stand up, and saw her walk passed him. "I think I'll go make some pudding." She said, and skipped on to her house.

Draco continued to take deep breaths to suppress the tight pinching in his chest. "Did that really just happen?" he muttered, and rubbed his forehead. "Why the devil did I just say all that to her of all people?"

He stood there for several minutes and stared off at the horizon. His stomach pricked him. Blast, his constant appetite. Maybe this pudding that Luna mentioned wouldn't be that bad. After all, the food she's made for him before was quite good for food made without magic.

Draco waited a few minutes longer, allowing his emotions to calm, and his mind to clear of the horrible memories of the Dark Lord forcibly and painfully branding him with the Dark Mark, and the memories of the clock tower. But they came back still.

Sighing in frustration and defeat, he walked to the house. He knocked on the door and Luna told him to come in. He walked in and found a slew of sticks, twigs, and leaves on the floor. Bewildered, he followed the train into the kitchen area, up to Luna's bare feet. He stopped.

Her hair was clean, free of the debris once in it, and shined a white-gold as the morning sun hit the waves and kinks. Her body turned a bit, and he noticed that she was wearing a purple sweater that hugged every part of her torso, and jeans that hugged her legs like a second skin. His eyes traveled up her slender and curvy legs to her rounded hips, to her tiny waist… and then to her very much rounded bust. His gaze flicked to her face in half-view. Her skin was porcelain smooth, not a speck of dirt or infirmity on it. The sun shown on it, making certain parts shine.

Heat traveled up Draco's neck to his temple. He struggled to swallow as he watched her body move as she stirred something in a wooden bowl. He took a sharp intake of breath and fled the kitchen, running out the door and down the steps.

What in Merlin's name was he thinking? And _noticing_? And about _her_?

He stopped in the grass, heart pounding, and noticing the plate he left there from the day before. He didn't hear Luna ask him as he left if he wanted some pudding.


	7. Chapter 7

_This chapter was rather fun, yet disheartening to write. I've always thought Draco deserved better and wished he was more happy… At least we know now that there's a spark of attraction between our two characters ;)_

**Chapter 7**

_Day 4_

Even though he cast several comforting spells on himself _and_ his conjured-up bed, he still didn't get a good night's sleep. He avoided Luna like the plague after he saw her in the kitchen, not wanting those images of her… body… to come back to his mind.

It was driving him mad!

Yesterday, he walked off away from the house after Luna came out and handed him some vanilla pudding. Thankfully she left, and he was able to eat it in peace. After he finished, he eyed the forest that Luna made a hunting trip in. He decided to get away from Luna and her curves for a while, trudge up to the forest, and walk in. He was immediately met with a loud shriek that nearly toppled him over. Panicked, he ran back to the house, through the long grass, and slammed the door shut. Thankfully Luna was upstairs or somewhere. He decided to sit in the leather chair and read a random book about magical creatures that was lying on the table next to him. Anything to get his mind off the shriek and the girl. Luna came down, saw him reading, and went out the front door. He went to sleep before she came back.

Now, he lay awake on his conjured-up bed, not able to sleep, staring up at the ceiling. He glanced out the window. The sun wasn't even up yet.

He got out of bed, made the bed disappear, and got his shoes and jacket on and left out the door into the cool air, casting the _scourgify_ spell as he walked, making him feel clean and refreshed. He stopped at his usual spot. Images of Luna in the kitchen crept into his mind again.

"Stop it!" he demanded of himself. "You're a Death Eater! Not some slimy love-stuck boy!"

He threw off his jacket and unbuttoned the wrist buttons to his white dress shirt and pulled up the sleeve to reveal the dreaded Dark Mark.

"Pull yourself together," he ordered himself through gritted teeth. "Sometime or later you'll be pulled from this place and be commanded to do another evil task. You have to be ready for it."

He stared at his skull and snake tattoo for a good while, tying to convince himself of the later.

"What a beautiful tattoo," he heard, and all his insides jumped to see Luna staring at it. Where in the blazes did she come from?

"Beautiful," he spat, and pulled his sleeve down, not bothering to button it. "It's evil."

"Evil things can still be beautiful," she said as he stared off into the lighting horizon. "The skull is my favorite part of the skeleton because it houses the most important part of the body—the brain. And snakes are considered to be one of nature's most gentle creatures, but are only bad if their masters make them to be, just like any other creature. Actually, a large anaconda let me use his body as a pillow as I was in the forest."

He shuttered. "What?"

"They're gentle creatures."

Draco thought to the Dark Lord's anaconda Nagini. She is evil. But then, so is her master. He also thought… it makes sense now that Luna smelled of toad slime when she showed after spending the night in the forest.

"What do you know?" he let out in an agitated voice.

"I know a lot about animals and magical creatures." She paused. "I also know that every Death Eater has the same tattoo on their left arm, of a skull and a snake, and when it moves, that is when Lord Voldemort is summoning them."

He stared at her in disbelief, and demanded, "How in the blazes do you know that? Wait, let me guess—Potter told you?"

"No. My father. After he came back from your home all beaten up, he told me of what he found out regarding Death Eaters."

He remembered his father telling him of how Xenophelius Lovegood toured Malfoy Manor and was beaten into secrecy by Greyback to not say a word about it. Of course, Lovegood still printed the story.

Draco nodded and stared back at the yellow horizon. A few seconds ticked by until Luna asked, "May I see it again? Your tattoo."

He glared at her as she had the smallest smile across her thin, pink lips. He huffed through his nose. What could it hurt? She already saw it. He pushed his left sleeve up to reveal the cursed tattoo again.

Luna walked more in front of him, blocking the rising sun from his view. The light of it caught the skin on her face, making it illuminate. He looked away from the pretty sight and down at the Dark Mark. Luna's finger touched it and she ran it slowly and gently over the skull, then down the tail of the snake. Draco held his breath, trying to ignore the shiver her soft touch was sending up his arm and through his chest to his spine, making his heart pound.

Luna cocked her head at it, still running her finger slowly over his skin, and her gray-blue eyes focused on the tattoo. Draco couldn't help but stare at her in disbelief. She wasn't scared. Not of him or the Dark Mark. In fact, she found the cursed tattoo beautiful… and fascinating. She was actually _interested_ in it.

He noticed a small smile appear across her lips again. She stood up straight and met his blue eyes, her finger leaving his arm. Heart pounding hard against his ribs, he turned away from her and pulled his sleeve down and buttoned it up. He stood with hands on his hips and his mouth fell into a scowl.

"You hate being a Death Eater, don't you, Draco?"

That question shot more emotions through him, straight to his heart, causing tears to sting his eyes and his jaw to tighten. He remained silent.

"It would make sense, I guess," she said in her light voice. "It must be a tough job."

He let out a shaky sigh, trying to keep his emotion back. He turned back to face her, and said fiercely, "You… you don't know the half of it. Or a millimeter, even."

"I'm sure I don't."

"Then stop making assumptions," he shot at her, voice thick. He took a quick intake of breath, trying with all his might to keep a dignified composure, but to no avail. He let a sob escape him, and tears fell from both eyes.

A cool gust of wind blew, and thick silence ensued for a good minute.

"I hate it…" Draco confessed, then bellowed, letting out all the emotion that he was bottling up inside him not just now, but since he became a Death Eater, "I hate it! I hate seeing people being tortured! I hate being commanded to torture them! Or kill them, even! I HATE IT! I'd rather die than watch innocent people be tortured and murdered right in front of me!" More tears burned his eyes and fell rapidly down his cheeks. "And it's all because of what you and your _stupid_ friends did at The Ministry!" He pointed a finger to his chest. "_I _had to pay for it!"

Draco let out several sobs and held a hand over his mouth to keep them in. He suddenly felt a gentle hand on his arm. Too disoriented to notice what was going on, he felt the hand squeeze his arm.

"I'm so sorry, Draco…" came Luna's small voice.

He glanced at her fuzzy form through tear-ridden and bloodshot eyes. He didn't want to look at her. He turned his head away, her hand still on his arm. He felt Luna wrap her arms around his waist and press her whole form to him in an embrace.

His arms dangled there at his sides as Luna hugged him tighter, her cheek just below his shoulder. More tears fell from his eyes as he remembered his mother doing this very same thing when he was feeling broken and in tears when he found out that the Dark Lord wanted him to be a Death Eater, and he was commanded by his father to receive the tattoo.

His mother…

Draco wrapped his arms around the small form against him, holding her tight, and sobbing into her blonde hair, and taking in its flowery scent. "I'm horrible…" he let out.

"No," came her soft voice. "You're good. Just covered with bad."

He swallowed as he held her tighter. She felt her pat his back, which released some of the strain in him.

She was wrong. He's bad. He's bullied people and made them suffer at his pleasure. That evil was given to him from his father in infancy. Now, actually torturing people _to death_… he couldn't bare it. But he did it. That made him bad… a horrible person.

Something dinged in Draco's head as reality crashed back down on him, and he released Luna, practically pushing her backwards. He immediately turned around as his face began to flush with heat, and just from embarrassment. He swiped the tears from his eyes, appalled that Luna Lovegood of all people had to witness his breakdown. He found her next to him.

"It's okay," she said. "My father has had many of these bursts of emotion. You don't need to feel embarrassed."

Could she read minds or something? He glanced at her and noticed that she shivered from a cool gust of wind. He eyed her short pants and sleeveless blouse. He grabbed his jacket from off the ground and placed it over her shoulders.

"Cover up," he said, and stalked back to the house. "And don't ever wear that purple sweater from yesterday again."

She was close at his heels, clutching onto the jacket so it wouldn't slip off. "I threw away that outfit. The sweater and jeans were far too small."

"No kidding," he said under his breath, remembering that image, and they walked back to the house.

* * *

Luna sat at her window again, gazing out at the horizon. A few hours have passed since Draco confessed to his hatred of being a Death Eater. In all honesty, it shocked her to see him in such a state, after watching him the past few years at Hogwart. He didn't seem to have a worry in the world. But after his breakdown, she realized that there was more to him. His past, his upbringing… it caused so much sadness to fill his life. It would for anyone.

She sighed and attempted to shake off the sinking feeling in her stomach at remembering Draco's handsome face twisted in agony. She wanted to go back into the forest. She knew she heard the crumple-horned snorkack yesterday. And she knew Draco heard it, too. She had watched as he trudged through the grass as she sat at the kitchen window after giving him some pudding. She watched until he reached the forest, go inside it, and then immediately run out of it. He had to have heard the shriek.

Hopping off her bed, she went down the spiral staircase and saw Draco by the fireplace, sitting in the leather chair, legs crossed, and a book in hand. She eyed the cover after she stepped off the stairs: _Magical Creatures – An Encyclopedia, Volume IV_.

Her lips pulled into a smile. He loves magical creatures, too! Or was his choice of reading a casual curiosity because of what she said regarding the snorkacks, or the shriek that he most likely heard?

"Draco?"

His crystal blue eyes looked up at her. "Yes?"

"Curious choice of reading material."

He looked at the book and then back at her. "I suppose so."

She went and sat down in the brown leather sofa, facing him. She asked the question biting at her lips— "Do you have an interest in magical creatures?"

He shut the book. "Not as much as you and your father, apparently. You have ten of these books lying around. There isn't any other reading material besides _Quibbler_ drafts and magazines, as well as drafts for articles."

She nodded. "You're right. We're not very well-rounded people, I suppose."

"Seems so."

"What sparked your interest in magical creatures?"

Draco remained silent for a moment as she eyed his flawless pale skin and very blonde hair, almost the same color as her own. She waited patiently for an answer.

He put the book aside, his blue gaze to hers. "It was a childhood interest."

Happiness suddenly shot through her system. She's never met someone who had an interest in magical creatures! A thought came to her.

"I remember that you hurt your arm because a hippogriff knocked you down."

He grunted. "Yeah. My third year. That bloody chicken…"

"Did you not know how to handle him?"

He sat up and un-crossed his legs. "Thought I did."

"But your arrogance got ahead of you."

He glared at her as she sat calmly, expressionless. He didn't say anything to that sliver of truth.

"I found that showing off never has very good consequences," she said.

"Huh. You're awfully blunt."

"My father says so, too, as do a lot of people."

A few seconds ticked from the clock above the fireplace mantle where the photograph of her mother sat. Draco huffed through his nose and leaned over, resting his arms on his knees.

"It looks as if you want to say something," Luna commented.

Draco sighed again. "Yeah… about earlier today…"

"It's alright. Like I said, my father has broken down before plenty of times. I was able to comfort him and bring him back into a good mood."

He nodded. "Let's drop it, then, and get a few things clear." He leaned in and said in all seriousness, "One, just because that happened, doesn't mean we're closer or anything; and two, _if_ that happens again, don't try to comfort me… or bother me, for that matter. Understood?"

Despite herself, Luna blushed as she remembered hugging his firm torso and hearing and feeling his pounding heart, almost like a lullaby. She also recalled his spicy pine scent that reminded her of the forest. "Understood."

"Good."

He got back to reading from the magical creatures encyclopedia and ignored her after that. But she didn't ignore him. She stayed where she was, sitting on the sofa, staring at him...

He had a firm jawline, full lips, a pointed nose that was not too big or too small for his face, and deep blue eyes that reminded her of the fresh spring of healing water that is hidden deep in the forest. His forehead was large, creased as he concentrated on the book, and some of his wispy, feather-like blonde bangs fell over it.

Luna has thought young men were handsome, passing some in the corridors at Hogwarts, and even found Professor Severus Snape a melancholy wonder... But never has a young man captured her attention from his looks as much as Draco just had.

He is beautiful. Like a fresh pearl. With that pale, ivory skin, strong features that she looked over again, and that tall, lean body that was so prevalent under his clean suit…

Luna stopped and looked away, heat rising in her cheeks profoundly. She's never thought about anyone, any young man, like that. How inappropriate! She shook her head, hoping to erase that thought away.

When her head stopped, she noticed Draco's blue eyes looking right at her. One of his eyebrows quirked up. He huffed through his nose once and quirked up a corner of his mouth. Luna knew that he noticed her eyeing him intensively just now.

She looked away and turned her whole self around to look out the window. She let her thoughts wonder through the clouds until she heard a thump, which made her jump. She turned to find the magical creatures encyclopedia open on the floor, and Draco rising out of his seat and walking straight out the door. Luna's eyes followed him as he cantered down the path to his usual spot in the grass. He placed his hands on his hips and looked down.

She turned out of the sofa and knelt on the floor next to the book. She picked it up and saw the page he was on.

"_Thestrals_," she read from the heading.

She stood and looked out the window again, eyeing Draco. He was pacing back and forth, hand over his mouth. She placed the book lightly on the paper and book-covered table the chair sat next to. She headed to the door, but stopped when her hand was rounded over the doorknob.

He didn't want her to comfort him. She stood back away from the door, staring at it for a moment, then went to the window. Draco was still pacing.

She has comforted Harry after his loss of Serious Black, but it wasn't as strong as how much she wanted to comfort Draco now. The poor young man has suffered so much in his life, from what she has found out from her father in the past about the Malfoys, and from Draco himself in the past few days.

So what could she do? She stared at Draco, who stopped and looked off into the horizon, his broad back to her. She thought.

And thought.

Then…

That's it! Too bad she didn't have her wand.


	8. Chapter 8

_This chapter was SO MUCH FUN to write. Luna teaches Draco how to produce a rather difficult charm that will hopefully help him see that there really is a light in the darkness._

_PS – I think I found the perfect theme song for this story… _Stay With Me_ by Danity Kane. I think it's applicable, especially in the chapters coming up later. Just something to keep in mind =)_

* * *

**Chapter 8**

_Thestrals are, undeservedly, known as omens of misfortune and aggression by many wizards because they are visible only to those who have witnessed death at least once, and have fully accepted the concept…_

Draco ran those lines through his head as he paced back and forth across the grass, the sun setting in the west.

He has seen death. Right in front of him. At the Dark Lord's discussion table in the manor. Draco felt his stomach twist at the memory of all that blood on the table, of those eyes of the dead woman staring back at him after her life left her body, practically begging him to bring her back to life…

He stopped and folded his arms, taking several deep breaths. To think, he could've taken a life like that if Snape never stepped in on the clock tower.

His calming process was interrupted by footsteps stepping behind him in the brittle grass. He sighed in frustration. He told her to leave him alone. He turned to face her as she walked to him and stopped a few meters away.

"I thought I said to leave me be," he said, his arms still folded and his mouth a flat line.

She nodded. "I know."

"Then why are you standing in front of me?"

"Because," she began in her light voice, "everyone needs comfort in a hard time, and I think you need it the most. The smallest things are getting to you."

"Psht, you think you know me…" he growled and looked away from her at the forest in the distance. The sun was almost gone under the horizon.

"I know enough."

He glanced back at her and saw her usual calm-despite-of-anything face. It irritated him that she could be so calm when there was so much evil everywhere around her. She just stood there, not leaving. "Okay. What?"

"Have you heard of patronuses?"

Draco creased his brows. "Of course I have. Everyone has."

"What is your patronus?"

He looked away at a random rock in the yard, probably the one Luna tripped over the other day. "Don't know."

"You mean you never produced the patronus charm before?"

"I wasn't in that little 'Dumbledore's Army' that you were in with Potter and the others, practicing all that nonsense," he spat at her.

She nodded. "Yes, I remember. I remember you following me to the Room of Requirement with Mr. Filtch and the rest of Professor Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad. And I believe it was you who dragged me into her office with the others."

Draco looked back on that memory. He recalled thinking that Luna's wrists were so small, like a child's, he could wrap one hand around both at the same time. His eyes flicked to her wrists as they were at her sides. He guiltily thought that he wouldn't _completely _mind trying to find out if that was still the case.

"Yes, I remember that too," he said. "My fifth year."

"And my fourth. So you haven't produced one before? A patronus?"

He huffed through his nose. "No."

"Yes… It does take a lot of practice. Harry told us that the Patronus Charm is very difficult, and many witches and wizards are unable to produce a full patronus."

"So are you insinuating that I can't?" he asked with an edge.

"No. I'm just stating a fact. It was hard for me to produce my patronus."

Out of curiosity, he asked, "What animal?"

"A rabbit. Or a hare as some people call it."

Draco's brows lifted, mildly impressed that Luna knew her patronus. It meant that she had conjured one before. Along with her intuition as to guess correctly what is on his mind, this was another small factor to add to the list of impressive things she could do.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yes. What about yours?"

"I already told you I haven't produced one yet, so how am I supposed to know?"

"Simple. By producing one."

Draco stared at her blue-gray eyes. "Producing one? Now?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Why not? I'm actually really curious as to which animal your patronus is."

Honestly, Draco was curious as well. He huffed. He'll play along. "Okay." He pulled out his wand. "What do I need to do?"

Luna smiled, happy that he agreed. "Harry told us that you have to concentrate very hard on one specific happy thought or memory. Then, say 'Expecto Patronum', flicking your wand in this motion." She twisted her wrist in a circular motion, as if holding an invisible wand.

"That's it?"

"Yes. But it's harder than it looks. It took me a full hour to finally get my patronus to come out, after several attempts of producing only a stream of bright white light."

"It took you an hour for the first time of trying?"

"Yes."

Draco's determination and dominance meters elevated as he looked at her triangular face simply smiling at him. He was bound to get his out in half that time.

"Do you want to try it?" she asked, noticing the fire in his eyes.

"Of course!" He walked a few steps away. "It's just a spell."

Draco stood, feet planted firmly on the grass, and he closed his eyes, digging into his brain for any happy memory. But the moment he closed his eyes, he saw Helena being tortured in his living room a few days ago, along with the muggle studies professor being killed right in front of him... then his mother screaming as his father lifted his hand to slap Draco on the face when he was ten... then his own screaming when the Dark Mark was branded on him… then Dumbledore's dead body falling off of the clock tower…

"Ahh…" Draco let out as the memories made his head pound painfully, and he had to place his palm on his forehead. Determined still, he kept his eyes shut as he looked more into his memories…

Getting yelled at by his aunt when he was a lad for snooping around her room... getting pushed down by Angus Candrus into a vat of hot mud that scarred the skin on his right leg... growing up without a father's affection... being forced to go to Hogwarts... pushing Collin Creevy down on the stone for taking his picture and making the boy's nose bleed... Hermione Granger punching him in the nose his third year... his father swatting his hind and hands until they bled when he received poor marks on his O.W.L. ... bullying more kids, including Harry Potter and his friends, and fighting Harry Potter in the bathroom and having his own chest painfully split open from Snape's curse…

Draco felt hot tears escape his eyes and stream down his cheeks. Didn't he have _any_ happy memories? Or even good ones for that matter?

He tried again, but found only darkness and sadness. His legs' strength gave out, and he found himself kneeling on the grassy earth. He tried yet again. And again, nothing.

For more than an hour this went on, until the sky was dark, and the only source of light was the bright, white moon in the sky, and a few twinkling stars. Cool wind blew through his hair.

"Draco," he heard Luna's voice distantly say and his eyes opened. "You seem far too tired now. You can stop."

"No," he muttered. "I'm going to do this."

He closed his eyes again, and more haunting memories came to him. Then... one of his mother came, one where she had her arms wrapped around him when he was a lad. He stood up and pointed his wand in front of him.

"_Expecto patronum!_"

Faded white light shot out of his wand, but was only a stream of light. No animal. He gritted his teeth.

"That's good," Luna said as she stood next to him. "But I think the memory was weak. Try something happier."

A sharp pang hit his heart and he turned to her, fuming. "What do you think I've been doing the past hour, huh?! There's nothing in my head that's even remotely happy! I've had a miserable life, and therefore only have miserable memories!"

Luna stood silent for a moment. Draco could faintly see the look on her face due to the darkness… it was dreadfully calm. Then she spoke.

"Remember what I said about how evil took over you? I think it is the same with your memories and thoughts. The sad and horrible ones are blocking all the happy and joyful ones. You just need to push back those negative memories and replace them with the good ones."

"But I don't have any _good _or _happy_ memories," he spat.

"You do. You just need to let them come to the front of your mind."

Draco huffed through his nose as he closed his eyes again. He balled his hands tightly into fists as he saw all the previous horrible memories, but he tried to block them away. "Ah…" he let out at the pain it was causing in his temple. A hand touched his arm.

Suddenly, the horrible thoughts zoomed, it seemed, out of his mind, and he was left with one memory…

Himself sobbing as a small and feminine figure wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her warm and curvy body against his chest… small hands patting his back as he cried… feeling relief from the feeling of her form held tightly in his arms… the smell of her flowery scent… her long wavy blonde hair…

Draco's eyes snapped open and he pointed his wand out and shouted, his heart pounding, "_EXPECTO PATRONUM!_"

A thick stream of white light shot out of his wand and the white light was slowly being formed from the white thread of the stream, filling the darkness surrounding him. The form emerged as a long, white animal.

Draco was stunned silent. He produced a patronus. He did it!

Both Draco and Luna watched in amazement as the small, long animal hopped around the grass, around Luna, making her giggle, and around Draco, who turned around with it as it went.

"Congratulations, Draco!" Luna said happily. "What a cute little—"

"Ferret," he finished, and the animal slowly disappeared into thin air. He sat on the ground, knees up. Luna sat next to him.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

As a reply, Draco started laughing. _Laughing_. He couldn't believe that his patronus would actually be the animal he was turned into by Professor Moody his fourth year!

Luna remained silent. Draco said, "I was turned into a ferret my fourth year. Figures."

"Oh, yes, I remember that day. I was there in the courtyard when it happened." She turned her head to him. "It makes sense. The patronus takes shape of the animal with whom the witch or wizard has the deepest connection."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I guess it does make sense. I never want to re-live that day again."

A chuckle escaped Luna's lips as well. "Forgive me. But I found it…"

"Funny? Is that what you were going to say?"

"Yes."

He huffed through his nose. "Sure. Funny for you."

She let out a full-on laugh, something that Draco wasn't expecting. Her laughter reminded him of a bird chirping in early morning daylight. It was light and airy, just like her voice. He felt his nerves calm a bit just by hearing it.

Luna stopped laughing and took a deep breath. "So, what was your happy memory?"

Draco stared at the darkness in front of him, recalling that memory that he he wouldn't forget for the rest of his life. His cheeks quickly filled with heat.

"None of your business," he said and got up. "I'm going to bed."

"I'll stay here."

Draco looked down at her as she sat there, and noticed that she was looking straight up at the starry sky. He looked up as well and saw a plethora of stars, very much amazed at the number of them in the sky. He found himself sitting down again, still staring up.

The two sat like that, both staring up at the sky for a while longer, then Draco went in to bed, silently thanking Luna for helping him produce a patronus. Helping him in more ways than one…


	9. Chapter 9

_Things start to heat up for our characters… ;) Also, a side of Luna that nobody has seen before. Enjoy!_

**Chapter 9**

_Day 5_

Winning the golden snitch his second quidditch match... beating Goyle at a long game of wizard's chess... seeing Pansy Parkinson in her beautiful green ball dress at the Yule Ball... getting a good grade on a Potions exam and having Snape pat him on the shoulder... running into his mother's arms when he went home for each holiday... producing his first patronus with the strangest girl at Hogwarts…

These were the memories that came to Draco's mind after he went to bed and forced his mind to block all the horrible, negative memories as Luna instructed, and in came the good and happy memories like melted butter.

Draco awoke with a smile on his face. Never before, even in the manor and at school, has he had a better night's sleep. He got up, transformed his pajamas into his suit and walked out into the morning air, taking a big whiff of the morning freshness.

He sat on the front step as he looked over the grass fields, and conjured up a piece of toast. He looked over at the dirigible plums. He plucked one off and ate the sweet, juicy fruit and threw the pit off into the grass.

He felt great! But where was Luna? Still asleep?

Draco immediately stood as he noticed movement in the distance near the forest. He spotted blonde hair.

He cursed under his breath as he ran down the steps and watched Luna enter the forest. His heart started to beat harder. What if the Death Eaters show up and find him alone? They would take him and leave Luna in the forest, and later would go back to find her after gagging him to tell them where she was. And what if they were in that forest waiting for her already?

Draco huffed through his nose, and with no second thought, rushed through the grass towards the forest, wand in his hand.

* * *

Luna left early in the morning when Draco was still asleep, and sun was not even up yet. She heard the shriek of the crumple-horned snorkack and immediately bounced out of bed, changed, and headed downstairs. She saw a sleeping Draco on the bed he conjured up for himself. She took a moment to gaze at his calm, sleeping face, a hint of a smile on his lips, and his blonde hair falling over his forehead.

"He's beautiful…" Luna quietly whispered, and tiptoed to the door and shut it behind her silently. She headed off into the grass, and danced across the fields until she reached the forest. She heard the shriek again, and her heart sped up with excitement. Maybe she _finally_ could capture that cat-like creature!

She high-tailed it into the forest, shoes on this time, stepping on sticks and fallen branches and leaves as she went. She stopped immediately when she heard her name being called somewhere in the distance, as if on the wind blowing through the trees. She let it go, thinking that she was hearing things.

Her name was called again. She knew that voice. It filled her dreams at night now.

"Draco?" she called, but was not nearly loud enough over the rustling trees.

"Luna!" she heard closer, realizing this was the first time that he has said her name aloud.

"Draco, is that you?" she asked loudly, and she found a tall, thin form making his way through branches and brush.

"Who else would I be?" he asked as he stepped over twigs and leaves to get to her. She smiled, but his expression was nothing more than a scowl. "What were you thinking, coming in here alone?" he demanded. "You know Death Eaters could come any time, right? And snatch you _and _me? And who knows what they would do to us!"

"I know," she said lightly. "Every day, I expect them to come."

He gave her a confused look.

"Being in the presence of a Death Eater is bound to bring more Death Eaters," she said. "But you don't even seem like one."

"What? But I _am_ one."

"I know. But you just don't seem like one because you have good inside of you."

He stared at her for a moment with a thoughtful expression, then a shrill shriek filled the air around them, making Draco flinch.

"Blymee, what was that?" he demanded.

"A snorkack!" Luna said with glee.

"I really don't think those things are real, Luna."

"Of course they are. We both heard their shriek."

"Maybe your father was making it all up as a fun children's story."

Something erupted inside of Luna, something that she hasn't felt in a really long time. Her brows furrowed and she scowled at him. "They _are_ real, Draco. You heard it."

"Yes, I heard _something_. Not a made-up animal. I've looked though all those book at your place, _and_ I've read countless books on magical creatures from my own home library. They're not real, so let's get outta here! That thing is probably close."

The shriek sounded again, which startled Draco, but Luna didn't budge an inch. Draco was taken aback a bit when he saw tears form in her gray-blue eyes, and those same eyes glared back at him.

"They're not made up, Draco. I've seen one. Just a few days ago."

It was his turn to glare at her. "What? Then you must've seen something else. Like a bobcat or something."

"No!" she shouted, and it echoed through the trees. "I've seen one! Exactly as my father described them!"

Draco stared at Luna. Her face was flushed with frustration, and her eyes sent daggers his way.

He huffed through his nose. He said as calmly as he could, "Look, Luna, your father probably played this snorkack thing off of some other wild cat. What you saw could have been one of those. Now let's get out of here, alright?"

Luna huffed through her nose now, and tears fell from her eyes. She met his hard gaze. "You just don't understand, Draco. I need to find one and capture one and bring it home. Look, I've seen them, and my father has as well. He vowed to find one after my mother died… it was literally her dying wish that we find one and name it Pandora after her…"

She saw his jaw clench together as he viewed her in her current state. "Okay," he breathed. "What if you find this shrieking animal, and it's not this snorkack thing that you're looking for. Then what?"

She thought for a moment. "Then I'll keep looking."

Draco let out a long, heavy sigh. "Okay. Fine. Look for them. But not today. Maybe when all this craziness is over… you know, the Death Eaters, the Dark Lord, the imminent war…"

Luna looked around her at the forest, the sunlight coming through the canopies of the trees. A moment passed as she mulled his idea over in her head. She nodded and took a deep breath, releasing the irritation. "Okay."

She walked over next to him, and they were about to leave, when they heard the shrill, ear-splitting shriek again… only it was right next to them.

Both jumped at the sound, and Draco, in terror, spotted movement in the bushes. Then a large cat-like form. Luna spotted it as well, and her heart lifted.

"The snorkack!" she said happily.

Draco's stared at the glowing yellow eyes through the bushes. "Luna," he said in a shaky voice, "that's no snorkack."

The animal growled and then shrieked again, causing both Draco and Luna to cover their ears. The animal came out of the bushes, but Luna noticed that Draco had already grabbed her hand and started running before she had a chance to see it.

"Draco!" she shouted. "That was a snorkack!"

"No, that was a wild cat who is now chasing us!"

Luna looked behind her as they ran through the trees and bushes, and sure enough, the large-cat animal was on their tail, bearing its fanged teeth, and growling.

Luna saw Draco pull out his wand and cast a spell that caused a tree to fall, blocking the beast for a time, and pulled Luna on, until they came to a clearing, one with feathery green grass, flowing in sync with the wind.

A loud growl sounded behind them, and both turned to find the large cat walk out into the clearing. Luna heard Draco gasp when he saw the beast, standing as tall as him, and glaring at them both with large yellow eyes. The ears of the beast were tall and horn-like, but bent over when it growled. Luna found herself being pushed behind Draco as she gazed in wonderment at the animal. She has never seen it up close like this! Draco faced it and cast a powerful spell that repelled it backwards into a tree, making a limb of the tree crack and fall to the ground. This only angered the beast more. It sprinted to them, but Draco cast another spell which repelled it back again to the forest, only with more force.

The thing shrieked and Luna felt her eardrums pulsate. She screamed from the loud noise. Draco cast another spell, and another, battling with the beast until it pounced and Draco was soon looking up at a furry belly. Luna found herself being pushed to the ground and being covered by Draco's long body as he cast a spell that sent the beast hurtling back into the forest. She waited a moment, as did he. They both heard paw-steps dissipate.

A calm and peaceful silence suddenly filled the clearing. Luna kept her eyes squeezed shut.

"Luna!"

Her eyes opened and she found herself looking directly up at Draco's blue eyes, some of his blonde hair tickling her forehead. Her heart leaped. His face was so close to hers…

She felt her cheeks fill with heat as both of their chests rose and sunk with one another. She felt his strong lullaby heartbeat, his hot breath hit her mouth, and she smelled that pine scent. A very new and strong feeling wove through her body as she noticed that one of his legs was sandwiched in between hers as they lay in the grass. He was crushing her, but… she didn't seem to care. In fact… she actually… liked it.

Draco suddenly got up from on top of her and sat in the grass beside her. He let out a long sigh. It took her a moment to get up, calming down whatever emotions that were swirling inside of her, but not being successful. She sat up and looked over at Draco and saw that his pale cheeks were a deep red, and he stared at the grass in front of him. She looked forward at the clearing.

"Lovely, isn't it?" she asked, her own cheeks heated.

"Yeah."

Minutes passed in silence as the leaves in the treas around rustled, and birds chirped. Luna gathered the courage to say something. Her light voice seemed to glide on the warm wind blowing in the clearing.

"Thank you, Draco. For saving both of us."

"Yeah."

"If that was a crumple-horned snorkack, then I wouldn't have been able to bring it back on my own." She chuckled sadly. "I guess I really am 'Loony' Lovegood, as everyone says."

"Sometimes you _can_ be. But… sometimes you're just plain brilliant. So brilliant, it makes my teeth grind with irritation."

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

"Really." He turned his head and met her gaze. "And I'm not an idiot, either. I knew why you wanted to do the patronus thing. Trying to make me happy…"

She nodded and smiled. "I guess it was obvious. It worked, didn't it?"

"I suppose."

A few moments passed as the wind blew through their hair. Luna closed her eyes and took it in.

"Luna," she heard, "about your mother… did she actually want you to capture that creature and take it home?"

She nodded. "Yes. My father and I have been trying to capture them since, with that huge net that I lost the last time I went into the forest. But they never came close to us."

"Then I ruined your chances of capturing one." He chuckled. "At least that one."

"No. Like I said—I never had a chance. My father will understand." She eyed his pale, handsome face. "Let's wait here a while so we know it's gone. Then we can head back."

"Alight."

The two sat in silence in the soft grass. Luna looked up at the clouds and attempted to get her mind off of not the large cat, but… the feelings she felt outside and inside of her body as Draco was on top of her… What in Merlin's name were they? She's never felt them before.

"Shall we go?" she heard Draco ask.

She looked at him and met his blue eyes, pools of water. Then her eyes darted to his left arm. He followed her gaze.

"What? Is something there?" He held his arm up and examined the sleeve.

"May I see your tattoo again?"

His eyes dilated and his brows pushed together. "What?"

Luna didn't say anything as she waited for Draco to do something. He huffed and pulled off his suit coat and rolled up his sleeve after unbuttoning the wrists.

Luna stared at the beautiful tattoo on his arm. She knew it was evil, she knew what it did, and she knew what it made Draco. She scooted closer to him and took his arm gently in her hand and moved a finger from her other hand over the mark, over the smooth skin of his arm. Then several fingers. She felt him twitch and she looked up at him, meeting his blue eyes. His face was expressionless, and flushed.

"You are a good person, Draco," she said softly. "This mark doesn't change that."

He stared at her, holding her gaze as the warm wind blew through their hair and the grass. He pulled his arm that her hand was secured to, bringing her forward until her face was inches from his. She held her breath and her heart pounded as his blue eyes darted from hers to her mouth...

He backed away, releasing his arm from her hand. He stood up and grabbed his suit jacket. "Let's go back," he said, and started walking to the forest.

She scrambled up and walked next to him, through the forest, and then through the grassy fields. As they walked, nearing the house, Luna said,

"That clearing that we were in… that is where I fell asleep and the snake let me use his body as a pillow. I had to feed it first or else it would've had me for dinner."

Draco noticeably shuttered. "Lovely. I'd rather take that massive cat."

She chuckled lightly and they made their way back to the house.


	10. Chapter 10

_There may be a little discussion on what kind of animal that massive cat was in the forest—a largr bobcat, or some other magical creature. Let me know what you think! =)_

_Now, for this chapter… yeah, Draco's definitely a guy if you catch my drift. It's something that you don't think about that much in the books and movies. My lovely Druna fans—enjoy this one!_

* * *

**Chapter 10**

Draco sat in the leather chair next to the fireplace, a few pieces of wrinkled paper in hand. He looked over some of the _The Quibbler_ manuscripts, made some notes, and began reading one about the very thing that he and Luna encountered—the snorkack.

"Her father definitely made it off of that massive cat," he said, remembering Luna's reaction to him saying that these creatures weren't real, and made up by her father.

Luna was known at school as a loon, and as a girl without emotion. It profoundly shocked him to see her burst into tears—a side of Luna Lovegood that her closest friends probably haven't even seen.

He sighed as he handled the manuscript papers Another memory entered his head, one right after he had defeated the cat-beast… His cheeks began to heat up, and his pulse rose.

He didn't even think of the reaction it would cause him when he decided to cover Luna with his whole body, trying to protect her from that wild animal. His cheeks burned more as he remembered the curve of her warm body against him, the way their chests moved up and down with one another… hers with extra cushion… the way her two legs had a tight hold of one of his, how close he was to those pink lips of hers…

He threw the manuscripts on the small, cluttered table next to him and rubbed his forehead with his hand. "You imbecilic fool. Remember you're still a Death Eater."

But Luna didn't care that he was one. She made that known to him. The first time she touched his tattoo sent shivers up his spine, but the second time…

He groaned. Oh, how he wanted to kiss her right there. It took every ounce of will-power to _not_ kiss her—hand on his arm, fingers still on the Dark Mark…

It's not like he hasn't kissed a girl before. Given that his first experience of it was totally an accident—Pansy tripping on her heels at the Yule Ball, and him catching her, and their lips meeting on accident… But he hasn't really had the _urge_ to kiss a girl before. With Pansy, it was quick, and both dismissed it. At least he did—she developed a wild crush on him after that.

Now if that same thing were to happen with Luna, at this moment, there would be no stopping him from snogging the very life out of her.

Draco suddenly shot up out of his seat, heart pounding like a maniac, and face so hot he had to go over to the sink in the kitchen and splash cold water on it. He breathed deeply, in and out, trying and calm his swarming emotions. He looked out the window, his face dripping. There was Luna, lying in the grass, gazing up at the sky.

He thought back to when he saw her at school, in passing, or at meals. He thought her crazy. The school freak. A girl whose father is hated by his father. Never would he have even _thought_ that she would make him feel what she's making him feel now.

"It's only been a few days," he told himself, eyes on Luna. "This will all pass."

He huffed through his nose, refusing to be in denial, and found himself going outside into the warm air and sitting next to Luna as she stared up at the sky. She remained silent. Draco looked at her. A dreamy expression grazed her pretty face.

Yes, he was able to admit that Luna is pretty. In fact, _very _pretty. Beautiful, even. Just like her mother in the picture. It shocked his system that he thought so.

He looked up at the sky and only saw puffy clouds. What was it that she saw up there besides fair weather and water molecules?

"Beautiful…" she muttered, but he kept his gaze on the sky.

"What do you see up there?" he asked.

"Clouds."

"Yes, but what else? You stare at the sky in a dreamy state all the time."

"I see the beauty of the world."

"Beauty," he let out in disbelief and looked down at her. "How can you see the beauty of everything, despite all the ugly and repulsiveness? And, how are you so bloody carefree all the time?"

All she did was smile at the clouds. "There is evil and ugliness all around us, Draco, you just need to know what to do with it. That's why the Patronus Charm is so powerful—it forces you to dismiss the evil and focus on the good."

He thought about that. Since he produced his patronus, he was better able to keep all those horrid thoughts aside. But they still came now and then. The memory of the battle he escaped right before he went into the dungeon entered his mind.

"I ran," he said, and she looked over at him as he rested his arms on the tops of his knees as he sat. "I ran from that battle in my living room. The one that made me run into the dungeon."

Luna sat up and continued looking at him, listening intenly.

"I was a coward for leaving, from running away from the chaos." He sucked in a breath as his chest pinched. "They brought a girl in, a girl from Slytherin house… a girl I knew and talked to before. Her father killed a Death Eater, and in turn, just to punish her father, the Dark Lord killed her. And all hell broke loose after that."

"Is she the death that you saw? The one that you thought of when you read about thestrals?"

He swallowed emotion, and it sank into his stomach like a cold stone. "No. I didn't see her die. I only guessed she did since she cast a spell at the Dark Lord. That was probably the last thing she ever did."

"Then who did you see die?"

"Professor Charity Burbage from Hogwarts. She taught muggle studies. She was killed by the Dark Lord's snake right in front of me during a meeting."

Luna nodded and placed a light hand on his arm, which sent a shiver up his arm to his shoulder. "I'm sorry. How terrible."

"But it's not as bad as seeing your own mother die."

Luna retracted her hand. "Yes. But I'm fine now. Sure I become a little sad thinking about it, but it comforts me in knowing that it was her time to go." She paused for a moment, then said, "You know, running from that battle doesn't make you a coward. You ran from evil."

His heart leaped. "That still doesn't make anything better," he spat. "Even if that were the case, I, a Death Eater, ran from the Dark Lord's presence after he summoned me. Once I'm found, who knows the consequences I will face?" He glared at her. "And you, an escapee prisoner—you'll face some horrible punishment for my stupid actions."

"That may be true. We will both most likely be punished. But I'm thankful to you for bringing me here, even if it _was_ by accident."

"It's only because I couldn't think of anywhere to go, so the spell just fed off of your thoughts and brought us here."

"Which I'm still thankful of. I'm actually really glad that I got to know you. To be your friend."

He stared her blue-gray eyes. "Friend?"

"Yes. You don't really have any friends at school, they're just followers."

Annoyance pulsated through to his heart. "They are too my friends."

"Have you had heart-to-heart conversations, laughed together, cried together, and helped each other up when you or they needed it? Were you with them for _them_ and not for their families or social statuses?"

Draco stared at Luna, not able to answer any of those questions. Because all the answers to them were… no.

"I'm glad that you allowed me to be your friend," she said.

"Yeah," was all he could say to that.

They both looked back up at the clouds, and Luna remarked that one of them looked like a rabbit. She pointed out several others clouds in the shape of animals.

"I like to see shapes in the clouds," she said and a strong gust of wind blew. "Draco, what do you like to do?"

"What?"

"What do you like to do? A hobby?"

He didn't know how to answer that. "Well… not a lot of things."

"But what are those things? Is chess one of them?"

He stared at her. "How'd you know that?"

"I saw you staring at the chess board in the living room earlier today when I went in to get some water. You were sitting there staring at it long and hard."

He never even noticed that she went inside while he stared at that chess board, thinking about all that has been going on these past few days… and some other things…

"Okay," he let out. "Yes, chess is one of them. I've been playing it since I was five."

"Can you teach me? My father tried to teach me, but I just couldn't understand. I don't think he knew how to play the game himself."

Draco let out laughter, despite himself. He nodded, his pride for his knowledge of the game elevating. "Okay. I'll show you how it's done."

Luna beamed and stood up. "I'm excited to learn."

"You should be scared," he said, and she laughed.

The two went back into the house, and they sat at the small table with a chess board on it in the living room. It was a marble chess set, not a wizarding chess set like at Hogwarts. It resembled the one that sat in the Malfoy Manor library.

"Alright, pick a color," Draco said.

"White."

"Alright."

They set the board up, and Luna made her first move, the Draco, and so on. The pieces were all a jumble on the board an hour later. Luna moved her rook a few spaces from his queen. He rubbed his head.

"That was… a good move," he said, and Luna smiled triumphantly. He gave her a look. "Are you sure you didn't know how to play this? You already have more of my pieces than I have yours."

"Well, I tried to play a couple times at school, but I lost those times."

"Beginner's luck, I suppose."

The two made a few more moves, and Draco was a few spaces away from Luna's King.

"Check," he said and Luna pressed her lips together as she gazed around the board. She moved her rook.

"Check."

Draco groaned in dismay and studied the board for a minute. He noticed a move he could make and smiled. He moved his bishop and took out her King. "Checkmate."

"Good job," Luna praised him.

"Same to you. You're actually… pretty good for a beginner."

"New game?"

Draco's eyes gleamed with competitiveness. "Bring it, Lovegood."

They set the board again, and got well into their game when the clock chimed eight o'clock in the evening. Had it really been four hours since they first started playing?

Draco was determined to beat her again. He moved his rook five spaces away from her King, a clear path. "Check."

Luna studied her remaining pieces—Draco had about a dozen of them on his side. She touched her rook, and Draco smiled. She wouldn't win if she moved that piece. But she stopped and moved her hand to her bishop. He frowned when she moved him in the path of his rook, which was right in the path of his king.

"Check."

He took out her bishop. "Check."

He smiled pridefully, but it diminished when she touched her rook, and he noticed that the piece he moved in the previous turn made a clear path to his king. "Dammit," he muttered, knowing what was going to happen.

"Checkmate," Luna said, and Draco leaned back in the leather chair and ran a hand down his face.

"Okay," he said. "You're did some wandless mind spell, didn't you? Why didn't I catch that?"

"You just taught me really well."

"Maybe too well," he said with a hint of pride, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Draco watched Luna as she reset the board. "One more game?"

"Of course. This is really fun."

She reset the board and they started their third game. As he was thinking about what move to make, he noticed Luna eyeing him. He wasn't expecting her sudden question—

"Draco, why do you hate Harry so much?"

He paused as he had his fingers on a pawn. "What?"

"Harry. Why do you hate him? Is it because of jealousy that he's The Chosen One?"

He moved his pawn and leaned back in his seat, his arms folded. That smile he had earlier turned to a grim line. "That's part of it," he confessed.

Luna sat back in the wooden chair she was in, and studied for a moment. "I think you two could be friends if you put your differences aside."

"I don't think that's going to happen."

"It could if…"

"It won't," he cut her off, agitation elevating inside of him. He huffed through his nose, calming himself. "Look, Luna, in your mind, maybe it's possible because you think the two of us have became friends. But with Potter… we just have a lot of history."

"I know that you do. I just don't know the specifics."

"You don't want to know them."

"Then may I guess?"

Her blue-gray eyes became wider, and he looked away. He sighed in defeat, their chess game forgotten. "If you must."

She sat thinking for a moment, then said in a quiet voice, "What you were thinking about as you tried to produce your patronus… those were all horrible memories you were remembering."

There was no question in her voice. "Yes," he said.

"One of them had to do with Harry."

Again, no question. He gulped down a cold stone in his throat. "Yes."

"Did Harry try to kill you?"

Draco suddenly shot up from his seat and turned his back towards Luna, thinking back to the _sectumsempra_ curse in the lavatory. His chest began tightening at the memory, and he wanted to wince at the memory of the pain he endured—excruciating… his chest was slashed open in several places and hot blood oozed out of him onto the cold, wet floor. He would've died if Snape hadn't shown up and uttered a counter-curse.

"Yes," he let out with difficulty, and tears stung his eyes.

He heard a scrap of a chair sliding against the floor. He noticed Luna's presence near him. She set her hand on his arm lightly. "Now I understand. It must be difficult to get along with him."

"I never try to because there's no point."

"There always is. You probably thought there was no point in being stuck here with me, but you stayed anyway."

He turned to face her, and he noticed her gentle expression. He said harshly, "_That's_ because if I leave you alone, Death Eaters would come and kill you for escaping. If I'm here, there's less of a chance of that happening."

She gave him a small smile. "Thank you for staying, then. And protecting me."

That made him start. Protecting? Luna Lovegood? Is that what he's been doing all this time? That the reason why he hasn't left yet? The answer pushed itself to the forefront of his brain.

Yes, it was.

"You have done a lot of good things for me, you know," she said. "Thank you."

He wasn't sure what to do with this praise, so he just said, "You're welcome."

A larger smile appeared across her lips, showing her teeth. Draco's heart pounded as he stared at that pretty smile for a moment, then to her whole face. His eyes traveled over her nose that resembled a bird's beak, but looked right on her face, her large blue-gray eyes surrounded by dark lashes, then over her long blonde hair that flowed over her shoulders and back, shimmering as it went.

He noticed her lips close. His pulse rose. He couldn't take it anymore.

He took a hold of her shoulders and pulled her to him, slamming his mouth on hers. Her lips were soft and delicate, and he desperately wanted to feel them. His grip tightened on her shoulders as his mouth moved slowly over hers, and relished in the warmth and softness of them. She stood stock still.

The clock gonged the half-hour, and Draco immediately drew back, staring at her wide eyes for a moment. Alarm pulsed through him. He let go of her and turned, and ran out of the house and into the grass.

He couldn't believe what he had just done. He let his male emotions get the better of him and he… to _Luna Lovegood_ of all people…

"You idiot!" he shouted.

He hoped to God that Luna wouldn't come out of the house.


	11. Chapter 11

_Almost a week at the Lovegood residence, and Draco gets the ride of his life, as well as a horrible scare. Enjoy and review! =)_

**Chapter 11**

_Day 6_

Draco remained in the living room the majority of the day, away from Luna. What has gotten into him? He read through the full ninth volume of encyclopedia for magical creatures, and he read a good majority of Xenophilius Lovegood's _The Quibbler _manuscripts. Lord, he even read full _The Quibbler_ magazines! He was truly out of his mind.

Luna walked through the front door around four o'clock in the afternoon, dressed in purple pants and a dark blue t-shirt with a yellow star on it, and Draco intentionally kept his gaze in the magazine.

He had a good idea of what Luna was thinking as she stopped to look at him, and heat traveled up his neck to his cheeks.

"I didn't know that you liked _The Quibbler_," she commented.

That startled him. "What?"

"You're reading _The Quibbler_. I noticed that you read a few of them all the way through."

He swallowed, still staring down at the magazine. "Well, I said before that you don't have any other good reading material."

She nodded. "Would you like some lunch?"

"Already ate," he lied.

"Alright"

She went about the kitchen, humming a new tune and dancing around as she made herself a plate of the usual cheese, grapes, and bread. His eyes flicked up to her, and he found himself watching her and her slender body move. Only when she turned did he bring his eyes back to the magazine.

Luna left out the door with her plate.

Draco threw the magazine on the messy table next to him, and rubbed his temple with his thumb and pointer finger. He sighed long and hard. He shockingly wished that the Death Eaters would take him away now so he wouldn't have to be tortured by Luna Lovegood.

And she didn't even know she was torturing him! With her graceful moves, her light, airy voice, her care-free and caring attitude, her very presence…

He stood up and looked out the window. He saw Luna sitting on the grass near the front path cross-legged, eating her humble meal. She paused for a moment as she held a grape up to her mouth. She set it back down on her plate and then touched her fingers to her lips. She smiled.

Draco's heart sped up when he realized what was most definitely running through her mind. He's no air-head. He knew how giddy girls can be after a man kisses them. Pansy had the same reaction, as well as other girls he has heard talking among themselves in the Slytherin common room, talking about how they've been kissed by boys they fancied.

"Bloomin' idiot," he said to himself again.

Luna set her unfinished plate off to the side and lay in the grass, facing the sunny sky. Her whole hand covered her mouth now. Draco turned away, not wanting to watch her roll around gleefully in the grass.

He sat back down in the leather chair and stared ahead of him blankly. He brought a hand up to his own lips, recalling them on hers. A smile tugged at the corners. Then a full-on grin. Laughter bubbled out of him.

"Draco?"

He jumped at the sound of Luna's voice. He immediately put his hand down and attempted to gain dignified composure. "Yes?"

"We have visitors."

His heart sped up in alarm and a frown formed on his face. He never thought… after only just thinking it…

Draco stood up and walked out the door, Luna at his heels. He screamed and nearly fell backwards onto Luna when he saw what was standing in the grass.

"What… what _is_ that thing?!" he demanded.

"A thestral," Luna said lightly, and went down the steps to the tall horse-like beast. It was black and its body resembled a horse's skeleton, no flesh or muscle, and had large, bat-like wings. "You read about them."

Draco remained silent as he stood against the door, his hear hammering in fear. He watched in horror as Luna petted the thing's nozzle and it whinnied like a normal horse.

"They came to say hello," she said.

"Hello?" he repeated in disbelief. "_That_ thing? Wait—_They_?"

"Yes," she said, and pointed to the back of the beast to a much smaller one. "That is her baby. Come, Draco. They are really gentle creatures. They will not harm you."

Draco recalled reading that in that encyclopedia. He cautiously stepped down the stairs into the grass, nearing the beasts.

The horse whinnied again and he jumped back. It nudged Luna's shoulder. She petted its nozzle more, and it touched her cheek. Luna smiled.

Draco stared at the scene, both mesmerized and confused. Something nudged his arm and he yelped when he found the baby thestral next to him.

"Get…" he started but the baby nudged him again, whinnying in a much higher pitch than its mother.

"I think he likes you," Luna commented. She laughed when the baby rested its boney head on Draco's shoulder from the front. He shuddered.

"What… what's it doing?"

"Giving you a hug, it looks like." She chuckled at the look on Draco's face.

Draco stepped away and started walking around in the grass, the baby thestral at his heels. He walked faster, and then into a run, but the baby just thought it was a game and followed him and whinnying gleefully. Luna started laughing even more at the hilarious sight of Draco Malfoy being pursued by a baby thestral.

"Make it stop following me!" he hollered and stopped to where Luna was crouched over, laughing. "Oh, so you think that this is funny?"

"Very," she let out through her laughter.

He couldn't help but smile at that. The baby thestral nudged him again, blowing air out of its nose.

"He wants you to do that again," Luna said, standing up and taking deep breaths to calm herself.

"There's no way," he said and folded his arms.

The mother thestral nudged Luna's shoulder and she turned her head to the beast. It made gruffing noises. Luna nodded.

"She wants you to ride her."

Draco's eyes dilated. "What? How do you know?"

"I spent a lot of time with thestrals at Hogwarts. I learned to speak their language."

He should have thought as much. "There's no way I'm getting on that thing."

"You don't need to be afraid," she said. "They're not like hippogriffs who would knock you down and hurt your arm."

He stared at her as she smiled, and he eyed the larger beast. It nodded it's head and flapped its wings, sending a gust of air his way. "Okay. Fine. But only for a minute."

Draco went over to the beast and looked up at it, wondering how to get up. He decided to grab its wing in order to hoist himself up. The thestral flapped its wing and Draco flew off the ground screaming until he landed square on its back.

"Ah-ha!" he hollered. "I'm finally on this thing! Now, just for… AHH!"

The thestral started flapping its wings, and Luna suddenly became smaller and smaller on the ground. Draco wrapped his arms around the beast's neck for dear life as he saw that Luna's house became only a speck on the ground.

The cool wind blew through Draco's hair and clothes, and the sun warmed his pale face. He looked around him and saw that the fields did indeed go on to no end, only he saw a town off in the distance. Or a city? London maybe? He looked around at the farm land coming into view, and bodies of water, like lakes. No, that wasn't London. This must be eastern England, probably somewhere near Devon.

Draco watched as the thestral flew over water, and he could see his and the beast's reflection in it. Then it shot back up over the clouds again. Draco clutched the beast's neck with one arm, and stretched the other out to have it go through the moisture of the clouds. He smiled. Luna would _love _to do this.

The thestral suddenly did a nose dive and Draco hollered. He didn't know that they hit ground until Luna called his name, telling him to open his eyes since they were squeezed shut.

"Draco!" he heard again, and opened his eyes to see Luna beaming up at him. "You can get down. She knelt on the ground so it would be easier for you."

Draco practically slipped off the horse-beast and fell to the ground, his limbs feeling like pudding. He sat up and fixed his wind-blown hair with his hands.

"How was it?" she asked, kneeling next to him.

"Dandy" he said, and she laughed at his sarcasm.

The two thestrals suddenly flapped their wings and lifted themselves to the sky, whinnying to both Draco and Luna, and the baby, hitting Draco playfully in the shoulder with its foot. He hollered.

"They're saying goodbye," Luna said as Draco rubbed his shoulder.

The two watched as the thestrals left out of sight in the clouds. Luna looked back at Draco.

"Would you like to go inside? It seems like you haven't eaten."

"But I told you I did."

"You would have lost your lunch before now if you did."

He huffed through his nose. "Fine."

The two got up, and Luna had to support Draco to his feet since his limbs were still weak. He felt her slender, curvy form against him, and stepped away.

"I'm fine." He pulled out his wand and cast a strengthening charm over himself. He walked into the house before Luna even reached the steps.

"_AHHHHH!_"

Draco blood curdled at that shrill scream, and he ran back out of the door to find that Luna was nowhere to be seen. He ran down the steps, and circled the house once, calling her name frantically, but there was just empty air and fields.

"Luna!" he shouted again, his heart pounding in fear.

He heard a growl behind him.

"Found you, lad," said the rough animal voice of Renrir Greyback.

Draco's pulse turned to a boiling point as he turned around to face his fellow Death Eater. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at him.

"What'd you do with her?" Draco demanded in a fierce voice.

"You don't need to worry about the girl," he growled, then laughed menacingly.

Draco's hand clasped around his wand so tightly, his nails were digging into his palms painfully. "Why didn't you come and get me?" he demanded through gritted teeth. "I've been here for days."

"We are aware. We never bothered because we had no idea where you were. The moment you thought about where this place was, we immediately took action."

The massive werewolf walked closer to Draco until he was right in front of his wand. Draco's pulse rose more, but he kept his mouth shut.

"Let's go, boy," Greyback said and pulled Draco by the arm, away from the house. "But before we leave…"

Greyback pulled out his wand and cast a spell that caused Luna's house to completely explode. Draco had to duck so things wouldn't hit his face or head. When he looked back up, Luna's house wasn't in shambles like before, but was completely gone, even the stone steps, and in pieces everywhere in the grass.

Draco held in a hysterical scream as the plate Luna used for her lunch rolled to his feet and stopped.


	12. Chapter 12

_The setting has shifted, and things have become serious…_

_PS: In this and the following chapters, there are elements from the actual story, by JK Rowling. She owns them, not me._

* * *

**Chapter 12**

_Setting: Malfoy Manor during the Battle of Hogwarts, spring, 1999._

"Draco!"

Nerissa Malfoy flung her arms around her son's neck after him and Greyback apparated to the drawing room in the manor, and squeezed him until he couldn't breathe. She looked back at his face and placed each of her boney, yet soft hands on each of his cheeks. Tears gathered in her eyes.

"Are you alright, Draco? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I'm fine, Mother," he said, walking out of his mother's handle and looked around the room briefly and his heart sunk. No Luna.

"Quite the stunt you pulled, Draco," Lucious Malfoy said cooly and stood next to him. "The Dark Lord is not at all happy with you."

"I know," Draco said. "I knew that the moment I left the room."

"Then why did you?"

Draco pursed his lips together, not answering.

"You coward," Lucious spat and walked a few steps away. "The Dark Lord will deal with you later. There is another matter that needs addressing."

Draco's gut twisted into knots. "What?"

As an answer, he heard, "Draco!" in a screechy female voice, which echoed through the massive room. Draco saw his aunt Bellatrix walking up to him, an evil smile on her face, and her dark hair curling in every direction.

"Finally back from our vacation, are we?" She cackled. "You came just in time. Bring them in!"

Doors flew open and in came a few rough men who Draco recognized as the Snatchers who roam around the nearby forest. They held back three struggling people in their grips. He sucked in air through his teeth when he recognized two as Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. The third he couldn't recognize at first glance, but who else would be with Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley?

"They came snooping through the wood near the manor," Bellatrix said to him. "We were hoping you could do us a little favor, Draco."

One of the Snatchers brought the unfamiliar boy in front of Draco and forced him to kneel on the floor before him. Draco felt his shoulder being pushed down, and he had no choice but to kneel himself. His knees hit the wooden floor.

"Identify him," Lucious commanded, squeezing his son's shoulder to a painful degree. "Is this Harry Potter?"

Feeling sick to his stomach, Draco stared at the horribly deformed face in front of him.

"What happened to his face?" he muttered without thinking, but truly curious.

"Indeed," said Bellatrix. "What _did_ happen to his face?"

"He probably got bit by something in the forest," Lucious said. "Answer, Draco."

Draco looked at the face again and noticed a faint lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead. This was indeed Harry Potter.

His teeth gritted together as Harry pleaded with him with his green eyes. Draco's heart began to sink further. Could he reveal Harry? Could he reveal him and have him be tortured? Or killed? Sure he didn't like the guy, but did he deserve that?

"No," Draco finally said. "It's not him."

Tears noticeably formed in Harry's eyes, and Draco stood up out of his father's grip. He glanced at Ron and Hermione, who stared at him with shocked looks on their faces. They knew that he lied through his teeth.

"Throw them in the dungeon with the others!" Lucious ordered, and the Snatchers forced the three through the doors.

Bellatrix stopped the Snatcher who had Hermione. "Not this one." She was in Hermione's face. "I want to have a talk with her, girl to girl."

She grabbed the girl's arm and through her to the floor. Hermione wailed, and tears streamed down her cheeks. Draco watched in agony as his aunt tortured he. The girl's sobs and screams filled the room, which chilled his blood to ice. She was his enemy, but he hated watching her being tortured. It repulsed him. Disgusted him. She didn't deserve it, even if she was a mudblood.

Hermione became quiet and Draco feared that his aunt killed her. But his pulse decreased when he saw her chest moving up and down slowly. On her arm, etched into her skin, was _mudblood_. It dripped blood. Draco wanted to vomit.

He eyed the doors. The way was clear for him to escape the room, but Death Eaters and his parents would see him run. They would think him more of a coward if he did. But he didn't care. He wanted to run. He wanted to run and find Luna.

He took one step, and the doors suddenly flew open. Wands raised and spells fired as Harry, Ron, the wand maker Ollivander, the goblin Griphook, the house elf Dobby, and—Draco gasped when the last person ran into the room.

"LUNA!"

The room erupted in more chaos as wands spouted more spells and curses, and people ran all over the room, dueling each other. Several wands dropped on the floor in front of Draco, and his father demanded he pick them up.

Nearly in tears, he picked them up. His adrenaline rushed and in a quick motion, he pointed a wand at his own father, as if blaming him for his horrible life. They glared at one another as chaos ensued around them. Confusion etched his father's features.

"Draco, no!" his mother begged him, and he lowered his wand slowly.

More curses fired, mainly from Harry to another Death Eater.

"Stop it!" Bellatrix screamed, and Draco turned and saw in horror his aunt walk up to the bunch with Hermione in her grasp and a knife to her neck.

"I said stop, or your friend gets it," she screeched to Harry, who had his wand pointed at her.

Draco darted his eyes to Luna. His heart lifted only a little at seeing her stand there, wand out. She got her wand back!

Luna's gaze met his. She smiled and he could have sworn she said his name. He was about to run to her when someone cast a spell that caused the chandelier directly above Bellatrix and Hermione to fall and crash to the floor. He had to run behind a sofa as to not be hit by the shattering glass. He looked around the sofa and saw Hermione and Harry disapparate, along with Ron, Ollivander, and Griphook. Luna must have already went in.

"Luna," he muttered and stood up, then noticed his aunt throwing a dagger into the swirling vortex and it disapparated along with the others.

Draco dropped to his knees, tears coming to his eyes as he imagined that dagger plunging itself into…

"NO!" he hollered, and about bolted out of there, but someone took a hold of his shoulder, stopping him. It was his father.


	13. Chapter 13

_I hope all of you are liking the story! Sorry for all the longer chapters before-here's a shorter one. We have another setting shift, and a few days have passed since the battle in the Manor in the previous chapter. I hope I'm portraying the characters in a pleasing way. Please review! =)_

* * *

**Chapter 12**

_Setting: Shell Cottage during the Battle of Hogwarts, spring, 1999._

The clouds were lovely. That one looked like a grindilow.

Luna stared up at the sky as she sat on a sand hill near Shell Cottage, the home of Ron's brother Bill and his wife Fleur. The cool, salty sea wind blew through Luna's long blonde hair, and the warm sand was awfully comfortable to sit in, but not nearly as comfortable as the grass she sat in as she watched the clouds with Draco a week ago.

She noticed a cloud that resembled the shape of a ferret. She smiled, remembering the annoyed look on Draco's face when he found out that his patronus was a ferret. She laughed.

"What's so funny?" she heard, and saw Harry walk up and sit next to her in the sand.

"Oh, hello, Harry. Nothing. Just laughing at my thoughts."

He smiled, not sure he wanted to ask farther on that.

"How many horcruxes do you have left?" she asked him.

"Just two."

"Congratulations for destroying the other ones."

"Thanks. It wasn't easy."

"Things have been really difficult for you, haven't they? I'm sorry about Dobby."

The two friends looked over to their left at the flat rock sticking out of the sand, reading _Dobby_ on the front.

"Yeah," he let out with a sigh.

"He was quite a lovely house elf."

"He was. He was a good friend who has saved my life a time or two."

Silence ensued as the two looked out over the sea. Luna turned her head to Harry. "Harry, would you mind fetching Hermione for me? I would like to talk to her."

"Oh." He nodded. "Okay."

He got up and trudged down the sandy hill, and a few minutes later, Hermione sat down next to Luna, legs up to her chest.

"Hey, Luna," she greeted. "Harry said you wanted to talk to me about something."

"Yes," Luna said, staring at the sea. She asked, not wanting to waste a moment, "Hermione, are you in love?"

Hermione coughed at the sudden question. "What?"

"Are you in love?" she repeated simply.

Hermione's cheeks started to turn pink. "Well um... no, I can't say that I am." She gasped and stared at her friend in shock. "Why? Are _you_, Luna?"

Luna picked up some sand and watched it seethe through her fingers. "I don't know. I mean… I think I am."

"With _who_?" Hermione said excitedly, surprised that Luna could actually feel that way about someone.

Luna smiled dreamily at the sea as the wind blew. "Someone who is internally a good person, and caring, but is seen by others as arrogant and a bully. He doesn't know what kind of person he is… a good one or bad one. Actually, he's very conflicted with regards to what kind of person he is. He is also a grand chess player and wizard." Her smile broadened. "And he's tall… and very handsome."

Hermione nodded and cleared her throat. "He sounds like a… lovely person."

"Yes. He is." She paused for a moment. "What's it like to be in love, Hermione?"

Her friend let out an embarrassed laugh. "Well… I told you that I'm not in love with anyone."

"I think you are," she said lightly. "Your nervousness tells me it's obvious."

Hermione didn't answer. She fiddled with the hem of her deep red sweater.

"It's Ron, isn't it?"

Hermione looked at Luna with wide eyes. "It's not…" Luna gave her a look. "Oh, alright, you caught me. Just do not say _anything_ to anyone, understand?"

"I promise."

Hermione nodded. "So... I guess to answer your question, I believe you are in love when you never want to part with that person, and you want to be with them all the time. You accept them as a person, and love them for who they are. They make you happy and sad, and sometimes _very _frustrated."

Luna smiled. She knew she was talking about Ron and their bickering. "I see."

The two girls sat in silence as they watched the waves. An anxious Hermione slapped the sand, only creating a puff in it.

"Oh, c'mon, Luna? Who is he?"

She met Hermione's brown eyes. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."


	14. Chapter 14

_Sorry for the cliffhanger. I love those as much as the next person lol. We are now getting into the actual Battle of Hogwarts. And sorry, it seems that I got the year wrong for the settings… it's 1998 instead of 1999._

**Chapter 13**

Hermione sat there silent after Luna told her the whole story. The sound of waves encumbered their ears as Luna waited for a response.

"My..." Hermione began, but sealed her mouth shut again.

"I know it is shocking, but… that is what happened."

"I can't believe it. It's… I mean, Draco Malfoy?"

"Yes."

Hermione shook her head, swishing her light brown wavy hair. "Just give me some time to take all this in..."

"Alright."

"Luna! Hermione!"

Both girls looked behind them and saw Harry run up the hill to them. The weary look in eyes told them that whatever he needed them for was not good. They all ran back to the cottage and met Ron, his brother Bill, and the goblin Griphook in the kitchen.

"This isn't good," Griphook said. "The war's already started. We all have to go."

He eyed Ron, Harry, and Hermione. Luna knew what her friends were planning. "I hope you retrieve the last horcrux," she told them all. "Surely it will be difficult to break into Gingotts Bank?"

"Yes, and that's why you're coming with us, right?" Ron asked the goblin, and the goblin rubbed his fingers to his temples.

"I only agreed to help because goblins have special clearance into the vaults. But this vault—the Lestrange Vault—it is particularly difficult to get into, even with the assistance of a goblin. Once this horcrux is retrieved, then one more will remain. We will be that much closer to defeated the Dark Lord. That is my only desire-for all of this to end."

"It will," Harry assured him, and everyone. "I vowed to destroy Voldemort, and that's what I'm going to do. That's what all of us are going to do."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Ron asked Griphook, "You'll be able to help us get into the vault, right? You said it is difficult, even with a goblin's help."

"Yes, I can get in. I know the tricks. Now, we must go now. We are wasting time."

"Right," Harry said, and the friends prepared for their break-in at the wizarding world's most prestigious bank.

Luna watched as they prepared. She wished she could assist them, but this had to be done by them since it was their task to destroy all of Lord Voldemort's horcruxes. She hoped with all her heart that they find it and destroy it. She wanted all the sadness created by Lord Voldemort to end.

"Luna, watch over Mr. Ollivander," Hermione said as the trio stood in the living room, "and stay safe."

"I will. Be safe as well."

Her friends left the cottage by apparating, and she was left in the lone cottage. Bill stood beside her.

"Do you think that they will find the horcrux and destroy it?" he asked her.

"Yes, I believe that they will. They have destroyed five already, so I believe that they will destroy this one as well."

Fleur entered the room, hugging her torso. Bill noticed her expression and went over and hugged his wife. "What is the matter, darling?"

"This war… will it be the end? The end to everything terrible and horrible?"

"I sure hope that it will be. Dumbledore put a lot of trust in Harry, Ron and Hermione. I have faith in them as well."

"As do I."

She left the room, back to the kitchen, as Luna went to the window and stared off at the crashing waves. Her chest pinched when she thought about the danger that her friends were putting themselves into, and what will happen in this war. So many people will die… Her mind rested on one particular person. Where was he? What was he up to?

"Luna, you look lost in thought," Bill commented behind her. She looked behind her at him, and his brows furrowed at her watery eyes. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I will be."

He came and stood next to her at the window. "They will be alright. Like you said, they have destroyed five of those horcruxes already."

"Yes."

Those tears in her eyes fell, and she wiped them away with her sweater sleeve. She cleared her throat, trying to calm her emotions. Billed eyed her.

"You know, I have heard about you, Luna, from Ron and Harry. Something about being shy and loony."

"Yes, but those are only nicknames. I have many of those."

Bill was silent for a moment, then said, "There is more to you, I can tell."

Luna recalled Draco telling her that she was irritatingly brilliant, how he praised her for being good at chess for a beginner, and she thought of her knowledge of magical creatures. "I suppose there is." She turned to face him, and his orange hair shined from the light coming through the window. "I must check on Mr. Ollivander."

"Yes, of course."

She left upstairs and went into Mr. Ollivander's room. The old man sat in a chair, facing the one window in the room, a dazed expression on his face.

"Miss Lovegood," he said without looking at her.

"Hello, Mr. Ollivander."

"Have your friends left?"

"Yes, they are going to retrieve and destroy the sixth horcrux."

"Yes…"

She sat on the bed and studied the old man with wavy gray hair going to his shoulders. She knew that he has gone through a lot, with his store being destroyed and being tortured… He was still in a state of shock.

"Why are you not with them?" he asked her. "With your friends?"

"It is their duty to find and destroy the horcruxes."

"You have an element in this as well, Miss Lovegood. You must go and battle the war that will ensue at Hogwart. The more people fighting, the better chance we have this this war will end." He turned his head and met her gaze, his expression wise. "You must go. Fulfill your duty as a student at Hogwarts, and as a witch in the widarding world. Show the enemy what you have learned, and show your fellow students that you are not just 'Loony Lovegood.'"

"How…?" she began to ask, but Mr. Ollivander turned and stared out the window again, and became completely silent.

Desire for this war to end filled her heart and soul. She stood and left the old man. Down in the kitchen, she stood in front of Fleur and Bill.

"I must go."

Fleur embraced her and Bill clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Good luck."

Luna stood away from them, pulled out her wand and apparated straight into the Gryffindor common room. Her friends and allies were there to greet her.

* * *

_Setting: Hogwarts School, Battle of Hogwarts, spring, 1998._

Columns of rock crashed down and fiery explosions filled the air every witch and wizard of Hogwarts School battled Death Eaters, werewolves, and massive mountain trolls in the stone courtyard. Draco saw an explosion from his vantage point of a hill looking down at Hogwarts, along with streams of colorful light being cast everywhere into the night sky.

Luna was down there somewhere in that mess.

A hand clasped his shoulder. "Come, Draco," said his father.

Draco took one last look at Hogwarts under siege and turned and walked on with his father and other Death Eaters into a thicket of trees. In a small clearing, they met the Dark Lord.

"My Lord," Lucious said and bowed, and the red-eyed lizard being turned to face them.

Draco felt the vile rise in his throat. He knew that this was the time he would be punished.

The red eyes darted to Draco. "Ah, Draco."

He walked up to him and Lucious stepped back and away from his son. For the first time in years, Draco wanted his father to stay near him.

"I heard that you went on a little excursion," the Dark Lord said to Draco. "A week ago. After you escaped my presence."

Draco kept his face to the ground, and he swallow hard. "Yes, My Lord."

"And what caused you to flee?" he asked in a cool, yet evil voice.

"My own cowardice," Draco responded.

"Quite right." He looked down on Draco. "And where were you on said excursion?"

"An area near Devon, England." His lower lip trembled before he said, "At the Lovegood residence."

"Ah…" the Dark Lord breathed. "Xenophilius Lovegood's home." He turned to his Death Eater followers, eight present. "I'm sure he is having a splendid time in Azkaban awaiting his death."

The Death Eaters laughed, but Draco just felt sick.

"And the daughter…" he continued, and Draco's heart leaped to his throat. "I believe you became close with her on your little excursion, after you dragged her there with you."

Draco swallowed something again, and his hands started to go numb at the rate his pulse was going. "Y-Yes, My Lord."

"Well, I'm afraid I have some bad news for you, dear boy…"

Draco felt the tears sting his eyes and his chest constrict as he waited for the Dark Lord to finish his evil news.

"I'm afraid…" He walked away from Draco, but circled him as he spoke. "…that she did not join her friends when they escaped to that sea cottage. You see, Draco, escaping prison, even in the smallest of confinements, has its consequences. She was taken by one of our Death Eaters at my command, before she could escape the manor." He stopped in front of Draco, and his voice slithered through his teeth. "Your friend Luna Lovegood is _dead_."

The strength in Draco's legs vanished and he dropped to his knees in front of the Dark Lord, who simply looked down at his blonde head. Draco's chest constricted to the point of unbearable pain as he doubled over, tears streaming down his face, and a sob erupting out of him.

"That is your punishment for escaping my presence, Draco. And this." He pointed his wand at Draco's back and Narcissa screamed, "Don't!" but her husband held her back.

"_Crucio_."

Draco screamed in pain as his body became confined in a tight hold, not being able to move a single limb. He convulsed on the ground until the hold loosened and the pain stopped. He lay there crumpled on the dirt as the Dark Lord suddenly vanished.

"Draco!" Narcissa hollered and went to her son, kneeling down and holding him, tears streaming down her face.

Draco could've gotten up because the Dark Lord performed the curse for only a few seconds, but Draco stayed lying on the ground, face in his hands, sobbing uncontrollably with heavy heaves.

Luna's dead. And it's all his fault.

* * *

Draco paced the castle with his posse Crabbe and Goyle, passing the battle front at the main courtyard, and on through the corridors until he spotted Potter with Weasley and Granger. The three followed them on to the Room of Requirement.

Draco blood boiled with fury. He wanted to hurt someone. Luna's gone now, so there's no point in being the nice boy anymore.

The three entered the cluttered Room of Requirement and a soar battle erupted in there between the six of them, flaming and dangerous. It wasn't likely that he would make it out alive.


	15. Chapter 15

_The war rages on, and we see some action with our characters..._

**Chapter 15**

Luna had to dodge another falling piece of stone. She landed on her belly, which knocked the wind out of her. She looked up to the dark sky, illuminated by fire, and every color of spell one could think of.

"Beautiful," she muttered, but had to dodge more rock toppling from the courtyard arches.

She got up and began running from a Death Eater, and shot a powerful spell that sent him backwards into a pillar. She had just gotten back from fighting a pack of dementors with Harry, Shamus Finnegan, and Ernie Macmillin, so her wand was fresh with strong spell power.

"Luna, look out!"

Luna turned and saw Ginny Weasley scream at her, and she saw what Ginny was talking about. A massive troll held up his club and slammed it on the ground right where Luna was before she quickly moved out of the way.

"Get up!" Ginny hollered, and grabbed Luna's hand, but they instantly had to fall to the earth again to dodge Bellatrix Lestrange's curse.

"C'mon girls, can't take a little cat fight?" Bellatrix sneered at them, cackling.

"We can so!" Ginny shouted, and let a spell fly out of her wand, but Bellatrix jumped out of the way as the spell hit the stone behind her, making it crumble to the ground. Bellatrix laughed.

"Missed, sweetheart!"

Luna was about to cast a spell at Bellatrix, but she noticed movement in a far corridor. A tall form with two other forms, cantering forward and away from the courtyard. The tall form had blonde hair. "Draco," she muttered and took a step towards the person she thought as being Draco.

"Luna!" she heard Ginny scream, and Luna flew to the ground just in time to doge another curse. She stood up and pointed her wand at the wild woman and shouted a spell that repelled the woman back to the ground.

"Nice, one, Luna!" Ginny shouted, but Bellatrix was up again, and cast a curse at the two girls, but they dodged it, and it ended up hitting a random Death Eater behind them. Ginny, Luna, and Bellatrix were soon sending spells and curses back and forth to one another, until Bellatrix raised her wand and hollered,

"_Avada kedavra!"_

Green light shot out of her wand right at Ginny, but was deflected when Mrs. Weasley stepped in and screamed, "How dare you almost kill my daughter!"

Ginny and Luna backed away and fell over a rock onto their backs, but sat up and watched in amazement and fear as Mrs. Weasley fought the wild woman. Lights flew everywhere, and all were deflected.

But then Mrs. Weasley screamed a curse which made Bellatrix fly backwards into a stone pillar and fall to the ground. Lifeless.

Ginny and Luna scrambled up and began running down a corridor, screams, shrieks, booms, and crashes being heard all around them. They noticed a Death Eater chasing them, and Ginny sent a curse back to him which propelled him back into a wall, knocking him out. They stopped around a corner and took a breath.

"You alright?" Ginny wheezed.

"Yes, you?" Luna said, also wheezing. She moved her wild kinky blonde hair out of her face.

"Alight."

"I was very impressed by you spell-work, Ginny," Luna said almost lightly.

Ginny let out a strained laugh. "Thanks. Harry's class really helped."

"Yes, it did."

Ginny took more deep breaths, her orange hair also frazzled, "Why were you just standing there as that crazy woman almost hit you with a curse?"

"I saw someone—or at least thought I did—who I have wanted to see for a while now."

"Who?"

Luna pursed her lips together. She's told Hermione everything, so she might as well tell Ginny. "Draco Malfoy."

Ginny's dirt-stained face twisted up. "Draco Malfoy? Why in heaven's name would you want to see _him_?"

"I'm afraid that's a long story, which we don't have time for at the moment."

Right after she said that, the two girls suddenly saw a flash of red light hit the wall right between them. They looked to see a grinning man pointing his wand at them.

"Let's go!" Ginny hollered, and cast a curse back at the man, but missed. Luna cast the same curse and the man went flying through an open window.

The girls ran up two corridors, a flight of stairs, and up another corridor, then stopped, bent over to catch their breath. Luna rubbed sweat off of her dirty face. The two wheezed and wheezed until they were able to regain their normal breathing.

"So," Ginny said, "don't think I let you off the hook. Why Draco Malfoy?"

Luna leaned against the wall. Her legs felt like pudding from running, and who whole body ached from continuously dodging spells. "Well, we got to know each other under the most curious circumstances."

"What kind of circumstances?"

Luna took a deep breath before speaking. She told Ginny a quick version of the story she told Hermione on the sandy hill, only left out the parts where she and Draco were a little too close. Ginny already looked disgusted as it is. After only a minute of talking, Luna stopped.

"So you spent six whole days with him?" Ginny asked in shock, her voice rising at the last word.

"Less than six days, actually."

"Blymee… and you two never tried to kill each other?"

"No. We got along quite nicely, actually. Draco is a good person, even if he doesn't think so."

Ginny stared at her friend, disbelief in her eyes. "I guess… people can change…"

"Yes. They can."

Suddenly, a loud crash and boom was heard on the other side of the wall the girls were next to. Luna immediately leaned off the wall since it suddenly became furiously hot. "Ow!"

"What the…" Ginny let out, and touched the wall, but immediately hollered and retracted it. "It's burning hot!" She looked up. "Wait a minute. This is the Room of Requirement wall! The door shows up right here!"

Luna looked up as well. "It sure does seem like it."

The girls stepped back as they watched the wall conjure itself into a large wooden door, and they jumped out of the way when it flew open, flames and sparks flying out of it. The whole room was on fire!

Ginny and Luna held onto each other on the floor against a wall as they saw everything burn inside the room.

"Look!" Ginny said, pointing inside to the ceiling. "There are things flying up there!"

Luna saw what Ginny had, and those things came flying towards the door.

"Harry!" Ginny shrieked as Harry and someone else toppled off of Harry's broom onto the stone corridor floor. The other person scrambled up. Luna could have died of happiness.

"Draco!"

Draco whirled around as he was about to run for it and saw who shouted his name. He stared at Luna, his eyes widening in pure and utter shock. They started reddening. His hands clenched into fists as he continued to stare at her.

"L-Luna…?" he breathed, his eyes noticeably watering.

Another crash sounded from inside the Room of Requirement, which made everyone scream. Luna felt her hand being grabbed and her legs start running. She looked down at her hand, and saw the pale, dirty hand clutching hers tightly. Her eyes traveled up the suited arm, and on to the back of his blonde head. Her heart soared. This was Draco.

The two stopped in an empty corridor with open windows, the only light source being the moonlight shining through. Draco stood in front of Luna, his hand still grasping hers.

"Draco," she began as he stared down at her with his tearful blue eyes, "how lovely it is to see you again. I thought…"

Draco stopped her from speaking by pulling her into tight hug, his long arms wrapping around her back. He held her to him, allowing her head to rest beneath his shoulder. His warm body was shaking.

"I thought you were…" he began, letting a sob escape, "I thought you were dead. I was told you were dead."

Luna swallowed the emotion that she felt rise in her throat, and she wrapped her arms around his back, gripping onto some of his suit material.

"I'm not, so don't worry. What was the consequence of escaping?"

"Don't worry about that right now," he said in a shaky, tear-filled voice. He held onto her tighter, and he dug his face into her blonde hair.

She savored the moment of him holding her, of feeling his strong heartbeat that synced with her own, of smelling his pine scent that she so desperately missed, even if it mingled with the stench of soot, feeling his warm body against hers…

Draco pulled her back to face him. His face was tear-streaked and dirty, his hair tousled, and his suit outfit was tattered and burnt. But his eyes were still the spring-water blue that she remembered.

She felt an arm leave her back and a soft hand place itself on her face. "I can't believe…" he muttered, and their foreheads touched.

His thumb caressed her cheek and he leaned in. She felt the touch of two feathers on her lips. Luna's heart soared, and she felt dizzy, like nargles were swarming around her head. Her eyes fluttered closed.

Draco's arm pushed her more against him as his mouth moved over hers, and his other arm wrapped around her back again, and she felt his hand slide into her tangled hair. She let the feeling of Draco's mouth pining away at hers circulate through her whole soul, causing her to feel that unfamiliar but pleasant feeling from before. She knew what it was now. She clung tightly to his jacket as he took a deep breath over her mouth and continued kissing her desperately.

Luna moved her mouth along with his, letting that feeling run through her as she held onto him. She felt their teeth clank together, and their tongues even touched, but she continued on.

Voices suddenly sounded through the corridors. The two pulled back, but only far enough to see each other's flushed faces.

"Draco!" they heard one of the voices shout, echoing off the stone walls. "Where'd you go?"

Draco and Luna stared at one and other for a moment. Then Luna did something that she wouldn't have expected herself to do- She brought herself up a bit, and pressed her mouth against his, and he returned the gesture.

"Draco!" the voice echoed again.

The two completely separated. Their gazes held as footsteps where heard around the corner. Draco looked in that direction, then back at Luna. He took her hand, squeezed it, and then let it go.

Luna watched in wonderment as Draco ran down the corridor, then around a corner. Not really paying attention to what the other voices were saying to him, she leaned against the stone wall and gazed out the window at the moon and stars.

Yes. Nargles were everywhere.


	16. Chapter 16

_The war's coming to an end... what will our characters do?_

**Chapter 16**

Courtyard filled with rubble, the remaining Hogwarts students stood on the stone in the morning daylight, watching Lord Voldemort walk up to them with his posse, along with Hagrid, who was carrying someone very limp in his arms.

Luna's heart sunk as she focused her eyes on the body in Hagrid's arms.

"Who's Hagrid holding in his arms?" Ginny demanded, shoving passed people. "Hagrid, who is that?"

"I have killed Harry Potter!" Lord Voldemort shouted.

"NO!" Ginny screamed, and someone had to hold her back. "No!"

Luna felt tears come to her eyes as she looked at Harry's lifeless form, her heart hurting for the loss of one of her very good friends. Her head became fuzzy, and her body ached from the battle.

"Come and join me!" Lord Voldemort said in a slithering voice. "Come, join so we can have more forces to take on the wizarding world! You will have infinite power!"

A great silence overcame the courtyard. No one wanted to join the being who had made everyone's life, even the wizarding world, a living hell.

"Draco!" someone suddenly said, and Luna's heart jumped. Who said his name? Luna moved through people so she could get a better look since she was on the shorter side. She saw Lucious Malfoy's hand extended.

"Come, Draco," he called again.

Luna, as well as everyone else, looked in the direction Draco's father had his arm extended, and her pulse rose when she spotted Draco standing on the rubble, a frown on his face.

"Draco," his father hissed.

All eyes were on him as Draco stepped down and walked to his father, and his mother put an arm around him and turned him away from the crowd. Luna took a step, wanting to go to him, but she stopped herself. Draco and his mother turned around. His eyes darted to exactly where Luna was. His eyes widened.

Luna took another step forward, and Draco definitely noticed. He took a step in her direction, but couldn't go farther due to his mother's hold. Luna noticed the look of longing in his blue eyes. It took all the rest of her strength in her to no run to him. What would happen if she did that?

"Harry is gone," someone said, and Luna looked to see Neville Longbottom standing in front of the Dark Lord, "but we will still fight! We will defeat you once and for all, and you will do no harm to the wizarding world no more!"

Lord Voldemort laughed, but immediately ceased when Neville suddenly pulled a magnificent sword out of the sorting hat, and Harry jumped out of Hagrid's arms. Several people gasped, and Lord Voldemort shouted in disdain and shot curses at him but missed. Luna covered her mouth as this went on, utterly shocked that her friend seemingly came back to life!

Luna ran, along with all the other students who scattered in all directions as Harry and the Dark Lord fought. Luna hid behind a stone pillar and watched in amazement the one-on-one battle between Harry and Lord Voldemort.

Luna's eyes darted around. Draco was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

"Congratulations, Neville. That was amazing."

"Thanks, Luna. I didn't know I had it in me."

"Sometimes we are stronger than we originally think ourselves to be."

"Yeah…" He held onto the handle of the Gryffindor sword, with which he destroyed the last horcrux that killed Lord Voldemort—the snake Nagini.

Luna sat next to Neville in the Great Hall as others around them were talking together, healing each other, and crying for their dead. Luna's gaze lingered on the Weasley family who lost Fred, and another group around Tonks and Lupin. Luna felt her heart pinch. She will miss those friends of hers dearly, as well as others like Collin Creevey and Lavender Brown.

She continued to circle the room with her eyes, and her gaze landed on Lucious and Narcissa Malfoy, standing over by a window, and looking around at what was going on around them. They had unsure expressions on both of their faces, like they were not sure what to do, or just felt out of place among Luna's friends.

Then she looked next to them at the blonde young man sitting on a bench, head down, with his arms resting on his knees. Draco.

Her heart leaped as she said to Neville, "Neville, it was lovely sitting with you, but there is someone that I would like to talk to."

"Alright," he said, and continued looking over the sword.

Luna wove her way slowly over to the Malfoys, and some people whispered as she passed. She heard her name, as well as the Malfoys' names. She didn't blame them for wondering. Why was 'Loony' Lovegood going over to talk to the wealthy and powerful Malfoys? What business did she have with them?

When Luna approached, Lucious saw her, and his eyes widened. He nudged his wife, who looked up at her. She gasped and covered her hand with her mouth. Luna wondered why they were so surprised to see her, but she'll think about that later. She went over to Draco, knowing that his parents were watching. She sat down next to him.

"Draco?"

His head popped up and he looked over to her. His eyes widened. "Luna."

"Hi."

He looked around him at people who were staring at them with strange and confused expressions. "You shouldn't be talking to me here," he whispered.

"Yes, but I wanted to." She shrugged. "Plus, there are people who know about us, anyway."

His eyes dilated more. "What? Who?"

She looked over to where Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny sat, close to the Weasley family, and Draco followed her gaze.

"Hermione and Ginny are the only ones who know," she said.

It looked as if Hermione was talking, but was inaudible to them because of the distance. Suddenly, Ron and Harry looked over at them with shocked expressions. Ron's was more a look of disgust.

"Looks like Ron and Harry know as well," Luna said.

"Lovely," Draco grumbled. "Now they'll blab it to the whole school, knowing them." He paused for a moment, and said cautiously, "Do they know about…?"

Luna nodded before he finished. "Yes. At least Hermione does. I told her everything. But she wouldn't know about the kiss that happened earlier unless she was in that corridor."

Draco's face suddenly flushed a deep pink, and he looked around him frantically. "Don't say stuff like that out loud!" he whispered.

Luna smiled and looked back at her friends. They were still talking and looking at her and Draco. Luna pulled out her wand and muttered a charm that would allow what they're talking about to become audible to her ears only.

"I just don't get it," Ron said. "Luna and Draco? There couldn't be two people more different from one another."

"I know," Hermione said. "I couldn't believe it when she told me back at the sea cottage. But she sounded serious. I mean, look at them over there. Obviously _something_ is going on. Draco's face is flushed pink."

"Could be out of annoyance that Loony is talking to him," Ron said.

Ginny smacked her brother's arm. "Don't you have a shred of respect? She's your friend, and ours. Plus, Luna told me that he's a good person now, as unbelievable as that is."

"C'mon, Ginny," Ron enthused. "He's a Death Eater. Or was, I guess. He bullied us our whole Hogwarts career!"

"Maybe he's changed."

"People like Draco Malfoy don't just change, Ginny. Especially not for a girl."

"You changed for a girl," she quipped, and he turned away from his sister, cheeks flushed.

"Oh, stop it, you two," Hermione quipped. "Apparently she saw something in Draco that no one else has, or even bothered to see."

"Yeah, through rose-colored glasses," Ron said under his breath, and his sister smacked his arm again. "Hey, stop it, will you?"

"Then be nice!"

"It's hard to believe that those two actually snogged," Harry said, and Ron shuttered.

"I'll admit, that is rather… unbelievable," Hermione said. "Especially since he was the one who instigated it." She slapped her leg. "But I want support her in this. I saw the way Draco was looking at her when we entered the Great Hall just thirty minutes ago. And look at the way he's staring at her now. Golly, the war is over. We all need a new start."

"Whatever floats your boat, Hermione," Ron said, not looking.

Luna decided that she would stop the charm there. She put away her wand and looked at Draco, who, like Hermione said, was looking at her. The soft look in his blue eyes made her heart speed up.

"I need to talk to you," he said. "And not in here."

Luna nodded and stood up, walking in the direction of her friends. She smiled at them as she walked on out of the Great Hall, and out to an empty corridor. She waited. She looked through a window, and marveled at a marvelous view of the Black Lake. The sky was clear and blue, and the sun shined on the dark water, making is shimmer.

"Beautiful," she said, then looked to the sky.

"Yeah, beautiful."

Luna turned at the sound of that familiar voice. Draco stood there in a dirty white dress shirt and black slacks, and his hands in his pockets. A soft smile played on his lips. He walked up to her, never leaving her gaze.

"You know," he said in a quiet voice, "it's kind of odd that I feel something for you, but… I like it. I suppose it's not hard since you're beautiful."

Luna smiled, and her heart fluttered. "Thank you, Draco."

He took a few steps to her. "It actually kind of drives me mad. I didn't know what do to about it back when we were at your place. It's... actually quite shocking when I think about it."

Luna blushed and looked down at her tatters pink sneakers. She felt a finger lift her chin and her gaze was brought back to his. He leaned in just a little and pressed his soft lips against hers in a sweet kiss, which caused her heart to fly. When he drew back after a few seconds, she saw that red started to fill the whites of his eyes.

"I thought you died," he choked out. "The Dark Lord lied to me and said that you were killed by a Death Eater after I saw you at the manor… saying that was my punishment for abandoning him."

Luna brought a hand up to his dirty cheek. "I'm not dead, Draco. I'm here."

He leaned in a bit until their foreheads touched. "And thank God. My heart nearly burst when I saw you there outside the Room of Requirement. Alive."

"Mine, too."

Luna put both hands on his broad shoulders and took in his presence. His hot breath hit her mouth like the calmest of sea breezes. She shut her eyes. She felt his arms wrap around the small of her waist, and he pulled her closer to him.

Their mouths touched in another small kiss, then he said, "There's something you need to know."

"Alright."

"Since the Dark Lord is gone… my family has to figure a few things out, like what we are going to do next. Our whole lives revolved around what the Dark Lord wanted us to do. Now... Well, it might take a while to get back on our feet. I might not see you for… who knows how long."

"I understand." She backed her head away just a smidgen. "There's something that you need to know, too."

"And what's that?"

"When you came into the dungeon when you ran away from the battle in your living room, I was so incredibly happy to see you."

She felt his brows crease. "Me? Why?"

"Because I recognized you. That gave me a whole lot of comfort seeing someone—anyone—from school. And every time I saw you after that, or just saying your name, it brought me more happiness than I could ever imagine."

He smiled. "I think you're over-doing it."

"I'm not."

The two chuckled, and he said. "Well… I'm flattered."

Luna wrapped her arms completely around his neck, which brought their faces closer.

"You should get in to your friends," he whispered quietly.

She nodded. "Yes. I probably should."

"Okay."

The two didn't release one another until they heard a door shut near them. They stood apart, but both had their eyes on each other.

"I'll miss you," she said, and started to walk away, but she turned her head to him, making her hair swish. "And just a thought… I think you're an incredible wizard, who has come such a long way. You're a good person, Draco." She smiled. "You're also really handsome."

Draco smiled at that as he watched Luna enter the Great Hall. She didn't hear his confession he muttered when she was out of sight.


	17. Chapter 17

_The wizarding war is over, and has been for months, but the battles of the heart rage on._

_Luna has a heart-to-heart with her father._

**Chapter 17**

_Setting: Lovegood residence, summer, 1998._

Luna heard the shriek again.

She jumped in her bed when the noise filled the fast fields around her newly constructed house, now three stories like it was originally. Admittedly, she liked the new version when she was with Draco, but this version was doable as well. She went and looked out the window over the fields and to the forest just beyond. It was out there. She knew it was. She saw it for the first time in the clearing once before the snake arrived, and that same one chased her and Draco, and he fought it bravely until it went back into the forest.

Draco.

Oh, how she missed him. She hasn't seen him or heard from him once in the past three months, it now being July. He said back when the spoke in the corridor outside of the Great Hall that his family had to take care of some things—figure out what their next step is—because Lord Voldemort is destroyed... But that was the last time she has heard from him.

Did he even still care about her?

She recalled a conversation she had with Hermione just two weeks after the war when she, Harry, and Ron came to visit her house. The girls were up in Luna's room on the third floor, sitting on her bed, as the men were downstairs in the living room—

"_I think he's just really busy, as well as his family," Hermione said._

"_Yes, I'm sure he is," Luna said, "but I hoped that he would at least send an owl."_

_Hermione sat silently, pursing her lips together and looking off to the side, saying nothing._

"_Maybe what you and everyone said about all this was true," Luna said sadly. "Why would a person like him want to be with a person like me? I have accepted the fact that others think I'm not the normalest of people."_

_Hermione scooted closer to her sullen friend and put an arm around her shoulders. "Hey," she said softly, "don't talk like that. All of us could see that he cares about you. I mean, sure we didn't believe it at first, but after all of us saw the way he looked at you, and the way he followed after you when you left the Great Hall… well, we knew something changed in him. And you did that. I think you made him see something in himself that was hidden under all that haughtiness and arrogance." She paused. "And as for what other people think—the hell with it! You are you, and Draco fell in love with that. And us as well. You're our best friend."_

_Luna smiled weakly and looked at Hermione's brown eyes. "Thank you, Hermione. I guess I was too hard on myself."_

"_We all are sometimes."_

_Luna looked down at her hands, which were playing with the strings of the blue blouse she was wearing. "Hermione, you said 'Draco fell in love with that.' You meant my personality, right?"_

_Hermione smiled. "Yes. And I meant with you as well."_

"_Me?"_

"_Yes, Luna. Draco fell in love with you. And you with him."_

Luna spun that conversation in her head a dozen times before her father called her name from downstairs.

"Yes, dad! Coming!"

Luna hopped off her bed and went down the small spiral staircase. She saw her father standing near the fireplace with a few papers in his hand. He looked up at his daughter, his wispy blonde hair framing his face.

"Yes, dad?" she said.

"Luna, I just don't understand."

"What?"

He held out the papers. "All my manuscripts have notes written all over them, notes not in my handwriting."

Luna's father Xenophilius had been released from Azkaban shortly after the war ended._ All_ the prisoners in Azkaban that were wrongfully put there were released. Xenophilius had told her when the war ended that he didn't want to touch or have anything to do with The Ministry, or his writing job for _The Quibbler_. It was only two days ago that he was begged by The Ministry to come back, and he procrastinated and only started looking at old manuscripts today.

"Yes, dad, I told you that Draco Malfoy was here for a few days. He looked at your manuscripts and probably took notes on them."

He nodded and looked over the papers, reading some of the notes. "Luna," he said, his brow creasing, "the notes that are here are exemplary. If it was him who wrote them, then he should write for The Ministry. They would love the ideas he has written here."

"Maybe you can tell him so the next time you see him. After he's done with his family matters."

Xenophilius eyed the sad look on his daughter's face. "You miss him, don't you, Luna?"

She nodded. She has never lied to her father. "I do. But he's still busy."

Luna sat on the sofa backwards and looked out the window at the ongoing fields. She felt her father's hand on her shoulder.

"Go to him if you miss him. You know where Malfoy Manor is."

"Yes, but I don't want to go uninvited. Or if they're in the middle of something."

Her father stayed silent for a moment, and she looked up at him and saw a deep crease in his brow. "Is something wrong, dad?"

He sat next to her on the sofa and looked at her eyes, the color identical to his. His light blonde hair framed his face. "Luna… since you told me about the Malfoy boy staying here for a few days, and the relationship that developed between the two of you… I couldn't help but feel uneasy."

Luna stared at her father, and he continued.

"You know that the Malfoys and Lovegoods do not have a friendly relationship with one another, especially after I published that article about Malfoy Manor. I'm just saying… what if… Draco's parents are intentionally keeping him away from you?"

Luna gulped some emotion away. "That… would make sense…"

He grabbed her shoulders and said in a firm voice, "I'm telling you to go to him because they won't let him come to you. Luna, it hurts me to see you gaze out that window, your bedroom window, and the kitchen window-any window-with a sad expression on your face. I don't want your heart to continue hurting."

Luna smiled softly, touching her father's cheek. "I'm alright, dad. And I don't want to go to Malfoy Manor because I know you'll worry about me. I was there for three months confined in their dungeon."

"I know. But if Draco really cares about you, he won't let that happen again."

Luna thought for a moment, and turned to face out the window again. She imagined Draco walking out of the forest with a large wild cat trailing him like a puppy. She imagined running to him and seeing his smile, his blue eyes.

"Okay, dad," she said. "I'll go."


	18. Chapter 18

_We all knew that there would be contention with the families, mainly Draco's family, with Draco and Luna being an item. So... will all be made right?_

_Draco and his mother have a heart to heart..._

* * *

**Chapter 18**

_Setting: Malfoy Manor, summer, 1998._

Draco slammed his bedroom door shut and sat on his bed. He yanked the tie out of his collar and threw it on the expensive rug. He ran the morning's events through his mind—

_Draco stood in his father's study as his father stood by one of his many shelves crammed with old books._

"_Father, just let me see her once," Draco pleaded. "It's been almost three months."_

_Lucious had his back to his son. "I'm not letting you frolic in those fields with that Lovegood girl. It's enough that you ran from the Dark Lord out of cowardice stayed with her to begin with."_

"_Just _once_ Father. I'll come straight back."_

_Lucious turned to face him, his eyes fierce. "I've told you hundreds of times that I don't want you socializing with that girl, or her loon of a father. You know what he's done."_

"_Yes, and can't you just let that go?"_

_He smirked in disbeif. "Let it go, Draco? He almost ruined The Ministry with those articles of his, and he created a horrible reputation of us and our home. He's insane, and so is his daughter. If you associate too much with them—"_

"_You don't know Luna," Draco shot at him hotly. _

"_And you do? After only a few days of living with her?"_

"_More than you do."_

"_I know enough about that family to know that I don't ever want any member of ours to even look at their faces."_

_Draco remained silent, his hands clenched into fists, and his heart hammering inside of him in irritation. Lucious walked over to his desk and pulled out a stack of enveloped letters with the Malfoy seal on them. Draco stared at them, shocked._

"_You… those are the letters I sent to…"_

"_Yes," Lucious said. "I charmed all the owls so they could bring them back to me."_

_Draco stared at the letters, and his jaw clenched. "No wonder she hasn't written me… I can't believe…"_

"_Believe it, Draco."_

_Draco went to try and snatch the stack of about two-dozen letters in his father's hands, but Lucious was faster than Draco thought. He clicked his tongue. He pulled out his wand and said, "Incendio." The letters burst into flame._

"_No!" Draco hollered and tried to snatch the stack of letters again, but was unsuccessful. Draco watched the ashes fall to the wooden floor._

"_I think it's about time you put your childish affections for this girl away and focus on being a man."_

_Draco dropped to the floor on his knees asLucious walked towards the door, but stopped when Draco asked bitterly,_

"_You never want me to be happy, do you? Or ever wanted it?"_

_Lucious's voice was cool as ice. "I want you to be a member of this family by honorably keeping the bloodline. You can't accomplish that by being caught up in some nonsensical fantasy with a non-Slytherin loony girl. It would have been better if what the Dark Lord said about her was actually true—that she died."_

Draco's fists clenched together as that memory vanished, and his heart pounded with frustration, sadness, and bitter annoyance. His father didn't care. At all. He thought it would be better that Luna were dead! Hatred for the stupid Malfoy family traditions entered Draco's heart. She wasn't a Slytherin—so what? Shouldn't the feelings he has for her be enough?

Draco suddenly heard a knock on his door, and his mother poked her head in.

"Mother," Draco said, taking a breath. "Come in."

She walked in and noticed Draco's horrid expression. "Draco? What happened?"

"Father. That's what happened. And the _stupid_ family traditions."

She sat next to him on the bed and put a comforting hand on his arm. "Draco, you know how traditional you father is. He won't allow anything to stop what has been accustomed in our family for the past five hundred years."

"I've noticed," he spat, then looked up at the painting of a yellow, orange and pink sunset hanging on his wall opposite them, and he remembered the sunsets he watched at the Lovegood house.

"Draco," his mother said softly, "all of us know you want to see that girl again. But she's not…"

"A Slytherin?"

"Yes."

Draco sighed long and hard, and felt tears sting his eyes. "Why should that matter?" he choked out, looking at his mother. "It may have just been with her a few days, but she made me feel things that I haven't felt before. She made me feel happy… the only time I actually felt genuinely happy was with her. The only time in my life!"

Nerissa rubbed her son's tense back.

"Mother, she made me see that I'm a good person… that there was good under all the _evil_ that this family has thrust upon me. She was kind and caring, and patient with me—things that no one has dared to be before. She made me feel like I'm actually worth something."

Nerissa continued to rub Draco's back as he shook with the sobs that erupted out of him. "You _are_ worth something, Draco. You _are_ special. And if that girl made you think that about yourself then… she's special as well."

Draco sniffed and stared at his mother in disbelief, the blue of his eyes contrasting drastically with the bloodshot red. "Mother, you…"

She nodded. "Yes. I may have my own prejudices against the Lovegoods, but… I knew that girl did something to you. You are far more compassionate, happy, and you sleep better now. She helped you in more ways than you can imagine." She paused for a moment, then said, "As your mother, I want you to be happy and to improve. And if that means being with a girl who does not follow the family traditions, then so be it."

Draco couldn't believe his mother's words. He stared at her with wide eyes. Narcissa pulled her son into a warm hug and he held onto her.

"Thank you, mother," he said into her shoulder, and tears of joy started sting his eyes.

She patted his back. "I don't want to stand in the way of your happiness any longer, Draco. You love this girl, so go on and be with her. I'll try to talk sense into your father."

Draco hugged his mother tighter, and he suddenly found a new rush of strength fill his body. Things will be alright. He hoped.


	19. Chapter 19

_The contention continues, but will it last? It is now August. This will be my last actual chapter to the story, but I'm not finished yet! =)_

_PS: The little spell Draco used, I totally made up. I couldn't find a spell that is used for Draco's purposes._

* * *

**Chapter 19**

Draco had to get out of the house, at least for a little while. He needed a small retreat from the gloomy manor that only worsened his mood. His mother tried talking to his father the day after Draco talked with her, but his father was still adamant.

Would he and Luna ever have the relationship that he wanted? School started in two weeks, and he would see Luna there, but his father would forbid him from having a relationship with her. Would they have to see each other in secret? That seemed to be the only option at this point.

Draco walked out of the back door to the manor, keeping the folded piece of parchment folded in his slacks pocket. He had to pass his father on the way out the door, and he didn't want him to suspect what he was going to do.

He made it through the massive back garden and over to the Malfoy owlry, which resembled a barn, but smaller, and made of the same stone the manor was built out of. He stood in the center of the circular structure and gazed around at the various owls perched on ledges. He came up to a snow-white owl, and it woke from its slumber when he approached. He pulled out his wand.

"Hopefully this will work," he muttered, and pointed his shiny black want at the bird, who blinked its yellow eyes at him. "_Enegio_."

Light encumbered the bird, and it flapped its wings in response, but went back to normal a second later. It cocked its head at Draco.

"Did it work?" He pulled out the folded piece of parchment that was sealed together with the Malfoy seal. "Alright, now, could you take this to the Lovegood residence?"

The bird snatched the letter, and Draco grinned. It flew off out of the owlry, and Draco ran out to see it fly off. He followed the bird through the garden.

"Finally," he said, grinning, but that gin immediately vanished when the owl flew right to the manor and to the back door. Lucious stood there with his arm out. The owl landed on his arm and Lucious took the letter from its beak and glanced at Draco. He took out his wand and Draco's heart plummeted. The letter burst into flames and disintegrated into ashes falling over the stone near the fountain. Draco's hands balled into fists and his pulse rose. He cantered to his father as the owl flew away.

"I told you, Draco, I charmed all the owls," Lucious said calmly as he folded his hands over the top of his cane.

"But I..."

"No counter spell will take away the charm. I made sure of it."

He walked back inside, and Draco followed him into the den just across the hall from the dining room. "Father, I have to see her. I have to at least tell her that—"

"You're going to tell her nothing," he cut him off as he stood near a table with a glass container of fire whiskey on it. "I have told you that you will not associated with that girl. And when you are at school, I will make sure you stay away from her."

Draco's blood boiled. "How? Are you going put spies in the school, just to make sure that I don't see the only person, other than Mother, who has made me the most happy? Are you really going to be that cruel?"

"If I have to."

Draco stared at his father in disbelief the man poured himself a small glass of fire whiskey. A long and thick silence filled the room. Draco felt his chest tighten into knots. "Are you really not going to let me see her? Or talk to her?"

"Yes. Get that girl out of your head." He looked at his son with serious eyes. "When you a little older, you will see that what you're doing now—pleading, begging—was all very childish. Grow up, Draco. You will start your final year at Hogwarts, and then you will start working at The Ministry with me. Then we will present you with a young woman who was a Slytherin and is a pureblood, and you will continue our family line as it should be. Am I understood?"

Draco clenched his jaw so tightly, it hurt. He glared at his father. "I really can't believe you..."

"Believe, Draco. It is how it should be."

"No, it is not."

Both men turned to see Narcissa enter the room, her eyes fierce and aiming at her husband. "Enough of this, Lucious. Really. The Dark Lord is gone, and _nothing_ is going to bring him back. The wizarding world has changed, as well as our family."

"This family will follow what has been followed for hundreds of years, Narcissa," he hissed. "That's final. Now, stay out of this."

Narcissa's cheeks turned pink, and she shot at him, "I'm not going to stay out of it! Draco is my son, too, and you're keeping him from being happy. To hell with all of the family traditions! No one cares anymore! Not our ancestors, nobody! This family_ right now_ is what's the most important, and you're not doing it any favors by keeping Draco from the girl that he loves."

"Narcissa," he chided.

"No." She stepped up to him. "Lucious, you're the one who needs to grow up. It's about time things changed."

Draco stared at his parents as they glared at one another. He applauded his mother leaving his father speechless. He stepped up to them. "Father… please."

Lucious looked from his wife to Draco, saying nothing. He took a swig of the fire whiskey, set the glass down on the little table, and promptly left the room. Narcissa sighed and rubbed her forehead with her thumb and index finger.

"I'm sorry, Draco. Someday, he will come around, just not now. We need to give him time."

"I can't wait any longer, though, Mother. I feel like I'm going to burst, I..." He shook his head. "Nevermind. It's pointless."

He left the room and cantered on up to his room. As long as his father had his mind set, a relationship with Luna Lovegood was out of the question.

* * *

_A few days later..._

Draco sat in his armchair near the fireplace in the living room-his usual spot. He stared at the dark hearth, a blank look on his face. The argument with his father ran through his mind almost every moment for the past three days. The other moments were filled with thoughts of Luna and his desire to see her.

Nothing would change his father's mind. His mother has spoken to him again and again, but still, no change. There was no hope.

Draco suddenly heard voices coming from the entrance, one his mother's, and one…

He bolted up out of his chair, his heart starting to race. It couldn't be. No. He was hearing things. After dreaming and daydreaming about her and her voice for the past three-and-a-half months, he was starting to actually hear her voice.

He sat back down in his chair and rubbed his hand on his forehead. "You're going crazy, Draco..."

"I though I was the one who was considered crazy."

That voice was very real. He turned his head and saw Luna standing there in the living room entryway. She stood there, very real, with a real smile, and real blonde hair falling to her waist.

"Luna..."

"Hello, Draco," she said in her light, airy voice, and she walked over to where he was sitting. "It has been a while."

Emotion rose in his throat, and he shot up and wrapped is arms around her and held her small, slender form, never, ever wanting to let her out of his grasp again. He buried his face in her long, kinky hair, and took in her flowery scent that he missed. He felt her arms wrap around his back, and her head snuggle up against his neck.

"I missed you like mad," he said, his voice shaking.

"I missed you, too. A great deal."

Her voice was music to his ears. He held her tighter, and felt her heart pound against his own pounding heart.

"I'm sorry you never received any contact from me," he said. "My father burned every letter I wrote you before they were sent out, he charmed the owls, and he never let me leave this house to see you. He's dead set on not letting us be together."

She nodded in his shoulder. "I figured something like that happened. It's good news, though. For a while, I thought that you intentionally didn't contact me or see me because you didn't feel about me the way I thought you did. So I thought it better to not write you or visit you."

"That definitely wasn't the case. Not in the least."

"That's good."

He looked back at her, really taking in her triangular face framed by her beautiful hair, then her bright blue-gray eyes surround by dark lashes, and her incredibly inviting pink lips. "And... what did you think I thought about you?"

Her gaze locked with his. "That you… love me."

A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. He brought a hand away from her curvy back and placed it on her warm, soft cheek. "You thought correct. I _do_ love you, Luna. I never in the past years have I even imagined that would, but I do."

Luna's pink mouth turned into a full smile. "Really?"

"Yes."

They both leaned in and their foreheads touched. "I love you, too, Draco Malfoy. I will not lie and say that I started to when just saying your name made me happy."

"Then say it again," he cooed.

"Draco Malfoy."

"And again."

"Draco Malfoy..."

Their mouths almost touched. "And again..."

Luna moved her mouth to say his name, but Draco had already covered it with his. His heart soared through the roof at the touch of her soft mouth against his. How he missed it, how he missed the sensation that ran a muck through his whole body as he held her close and pined at her mouth, wanting nothing more than to feel it and memorize every millimeter of it.

Luna responded to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She moved her mouth along with his, and he took hold of some of her hair.

Their mouths unhooked for a moment as he lifted Luna off her feet, and met again as she clung tightly to his neck. She was as light as a feather, and her mouth as soft as flower pedals. He lowered her feet to the floor and kissed her mouth once and faced her again.

"You make me loony, Luna Lovegood," he whispered.

She giggled. "That would explain the nargles all around your head."

"Nargles?"

"Yes. They swarm around your head and make your thoughts go fuzzy."

He smiled. "Huh. Maybe I should call you a nargle then."

"I wouldn't mind."

Draco took her into his arms again, but noticed both his parents standing on the other side of the room near the entryway, a smile on his mother's face, but a grim expression on his father's. Draco unhooked himself from Luna, and she looked in the direction he was looking.

"Don't let us interrupt anything," Nerissa said, and put an arm out. "Go on."

Lucious shook his head and left out of the room in a huff, and Narcissa followed him. Luna and Draco heard her say, "What did I tell you, Lucious? Things need to change. They love each other. And you saw the smile on your son's face…"

Her voice faded and Luna and Draco looked back at one another. Before he could say a word, she said,

"My father wanted me to ask you something."

"And what's that?"

"He wants to know if you would like to be an editor for _The Quibbler_. You see, he was rather impressed by the notes you made on his manuscripts. He hopes that maybe after Hogwarts, you would think about working for _The Quibbler_ at The Ministry."

Draco thought back to what his father said about working with him in The Ministry. He nodded. "I think I would like that. After reading though all those magazines and manuscripts, as well as all of those encyclopedias, I think working for a writing company would suit me just fine."

She smiled, and a bubble of laughter came out of her, a sound that he loved. "That is wonderful news. I will tell my father."

"Please do."

She gazed at him for a moment, and a beautiful smile grazed her face. "What?" he asked.

"I'm just... happy."

He brought his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. "I'm happy, too. Thanks to you."

They held onto each other until Narcissa poked her head in and asked if they would like a bit of lunch. Both obliged and walked hand-in-hand to the large dining room. On the way, Draco eyed the door that lead down to the dungeons. He found himself grateful that he ran from the Dark Lord and found his happiness standing at the bottom of those steps.

_Move on to the epilogue..._


	20. Epilogue

_Well Druna fans, this is it! I really hoped you guys liked this story just as much as I enjoyed writing it! I doubt this will be my last Druna fanfiction, so look for more in the future! Here, we're jumping ahead to post-Hogwarts. Enjoy! =)_

* * *

**Epilogue**

_Setting: The Ministry of Magic, Spring 2001_

"Draco, have you gotten those drafts finished for printing?"

Draco looked up at the middle-aged man who just entered his office, and he scrambled to put away the object that he was looking at. He shut his desk drawer that had the object in it.

"Yes, I have." He straightened the stack of parchment that sat on his desk and handed them to his fellow co-worker in _The Quibbler_, James Garrett, who was an editor, and had a bald head with tufts of brown hair near his ears.

"Thanks," said James and eyed Draco for a moment. "You know, I still haven't figured out why they haven't moved up to being an actual writer for the magazine. You have great ideas that deserve to be made into an article. You don't deserve to be back here cooped up in this tiny office."

"I can tell you why," Draco said, leaning back in his desk chair and folding his arms. "It's simple—my father. He won't allow me to be moved anywhere above head editor, or put into a different department."

James sat down in one of the chairs in front of Draco's desk. "Why? You have the talent, and the ideas. I mean, your piece about the snorkack, that was good. It should have been printed. Heck, it should've been the key to promoting you to writer."

"I know, but like I said—my father will not let Mr. Bartley move me anywhere. It's…" He sighed in frustration. "He's holding a grudge. He has been for the past three years."

"Why? You're the nicest guy I know. Why on earth would he hold a grudge?"

"Because—he's Lucious Malfoy. And… I went against his wishes. Or traditions, more like."

"Oh..." James enthused. "The famous Malfoy family traditions that I heard about. How did you go against tradition? Getting this job, and not one that he wanted for you?"

"That's part of it, but there's something else."

The man studied Draco for a moment, his bald brow furrowing in concentration. "Does it have to do with Xenophilius's daughter who you're seeing, who works in the writing department?"

"That's exactly it. He never wanted me dating her, and now… let's just say that I want to take the next step. He's not going to be happy about that, but I don't care. I never cared. She makes me more happy than anything else in the world."

James nodded. "Well, good luck, Draco, and congratulations. I say that because I know that girl would be a complete loon for saying no."

Curious choice of words. "Thank you."

James stood up and left the small office, and Draco sat there, eyeing the closed door for a moment. He opened the drawer to his desk again and pulled out the small black box. He shoved it in his pocket and left his office.

Out in the main corridor to The Ministry, where the large statue once was that was taken out when the war ended, he spotted Harry Potter, Ron Weasely, Hermione Granger, and Dean Thomas. The four, as well as several of their graduating class, joined The Ministry about the time Draco did—the fall after graduating Hogwarts. Harry caught sight of Draco and waved. His three friends with him looked to see who Harry waved at and Draco held up a hand, and Hermione, Ron and Dean returned the gesture with smiles on their faces.

They have all come a long way. Their final year at school was rather interesting, with Draco and Luna being in an open relationship. It took a while for Luna's friends to accept the bizarre pairing, but come graduation, Draco was invited to a 'End of Hogwarts Career/End of Wizarding War' party. The party was full of students that Draco had once bullied the previous years, but they let him in. And talked with him. And got a feel of the type of person that he became because of knowing and loving the girl who was once called the looniest girl at Hogwarts.

He was finally accepted.

"Draco, what are you staring at?"

Draco jumped out of his thoughts and turned to see the very person who made him happier than someone who was given a euphoria potion. Her kinky blonde hair fell past her waist as it usually did.

"Oh, nothing, just thinking." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "How was your day?"

"Rather dull, actually. I wrote a paragraph, but then had writer's block the rest of the day."

"Well, at least you are writing for _The Quibbler_. My father's still not going to let me budge from my position as head editor."

"He'll come around some day."

"I hope, but it's not likely. Now—let's go. I want to take you somewhere. Take my hand."

"I would be happy to."

She did so, and they apparated out of The Ministry. Wind suddenly whipped their hair, and feathery green grass surrounded them. Luna's mouth opened at recognizing where they were.

"This is..."

"Yes, the clearing in forest the where I fought that snorkack." He turned to face her, and her eyes shined in the evening light. "This is the place where I first wanted to kiss you. Remember how I fell on top of you to protect you from that animal, and after you wanted to see my Dark Mark?"

She smiled, and Draco's limbs slightly weakened. She was so beautiful, he could hardly take it. His heart hammered with what he wanted to ask her.

"Yes," she said. "I remember very well. That was the first time I ever felt something for you. I didn't know what it was then, but I found out later that I was falling in love with you."

He took her into his arms as the warm evening wind blew. "I was falling in love with you, too. I didn't know it then, either. And I love you now. Luna..."

He pulled back and took out the little black box from his pocket, and Luna's eyes went wide.

"Draco..."

In the evening air and among the rustling trees and waving grass around them, Draco knelt on one knee. "Luna, you have made me the happiest I could ever have dreamed of being. You saw the good in me, and made me a better person. Far better than the terrible person I was before. You helped me see through the darkness of my life and see the good. I hope that you would agree to being next to me for the rest of my life so you can help me push away the darkness of my past and help me become better. Honestly, I can't live without you." He opened up the little box to reveal silver ring with a large diamond in the center, and several smaller ones surrounding it like a flower. "Luna Pandora Lovegood, will you marry me?"

Luna squealed and embraced him, making both of them topple over into the grass. And, contrary to the last time they were there, Draco looked up at Luna and felt her curvy body on top of him.

"Yes, I will," she said, and Draco beamed. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her inviting lips, taking in the fact that he will be able to kiss them and be happy for the rest of his life.

THE END


End file.
